Drawing the Line.

1 Peter 3:9
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Since this is reminiscent of a piece of scripture found in the book of Romans, this is even more convincing as to why we should forgive others. I admit, this particular reason as to why we should forgive is hard to accept since as humans we typically want revenge. Our mindset is: we were hurt, so why not let them hurt? It's as if guilt and shame are the best forms of payback in the world. Maybe after they suffer as much as we desire, we can grant them with forgiveness.

Someone may call you name. Do you think it feels better to call them back a name? The problem is that it's going to be a continuous cycle. The idea is usually to get even with each other, but that's never going to happen; someone is going to always be one up on the other, so to speak. Where does the line get drawn? How do you prevent the situation from escalating even more out of control?

The fact of the matter is someone has to be the bigger person. They have to say: "Stop...enough!" Guess what? Jesus is calling you to be that someone. Enough is enough should be a reality now rather than later.

It's not always easy fighting to ignore our instincts to react negatively. That's why we're told to love and pray for our enemies. This is a distinguishable characteristic as a follower of Christ. Maybe you should write down today's Bible verse and carry it with you everywhere. Whenever you're questioning how to respond to betrayal and hurt feelings, turn to this Bible verse.