I’m quick to come to my own defense. It’s an instinct- fight/flight-like.
When I’ve been wrongly accused, or mistreated, the injustice is obvious to me. “This isn’t right. She’s lying! You’re hypocrites!” These thoughts flood my mind. I have had heated conversations with people who aren’t in front of me—like in the shower—practicing for when I get my opportunity to let them have it. My strategic mind suffers a hostile takeover to this vendetta. Since I’m being compared and criticized, I find it natural to compare and criticize others. But to what end?
It’s worthless.
Sure, there should be accountability for people who lie and abuse power, but that can’t be my focus. If that becomes my focus, I lower my standard to the shallowness against which I’m fighting. Instead, I want to elevate.
Jesus said things like,
“Love your enemy.”
“Pray for those who persecute you.”
“Do to others as you would have them to do to you.” (Not as they’ve done to you).
It’s freaking difficult. They certainly don’t deserve it. But I don’t deserve grace… yet I’ve received it.
Just because other people don’t understand grace doesn’t mean we can’t give it to them.
I want to be an ambassador of grace and love… not someone running around policing how others treat me. That’s small living.
If we’re going to enjoy our lives it means enjoying God’s grace… which means offering it to others.