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How to Respond When People Offend You

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How to Respond When People Offend You...

How to Respond When People Offend You

What do you do when people offend you, insult you, treat you badly, or persecute you?  I’ve had some practice working on this unfortunately. I’m sure I’m not the only one, so this post will discuss some of my experience in dealing with offense and responding to others.

Previously I mentioned that I was getting an increasing number of negative comments on my blog posts.  Some were from well-meaning Christians who felt the need to correct me.  Others were from people of a differing religious belief system who wanted to argue and debate over doctrinal issues.  Some were from people, Christian or not, that just intensely disagreed with things that I said (and not always in the nicest way).  Frequently I get a bit lambasted on Pinterest with comments from atheists, specifically about a post on “How to Pray for Unsaved Loved Ones”.  I guess you could call it a persecution of sorts.

The temptation to argue when offended

Apparently some of them are taking offense that I, as well as others who are pinning these prayers, might be praying for them, and they want me to stop.  Well guess what?  Not gonna happen.  🙂 And now, since they were so kind as to leave me a comment and give me their name, I can pray for them more specifically.  By name.  Which, by the way, I wasn’t doing before because I didn’t even know them. 🙂  They can’t really stop me from praying can they?  I know…I’m such a rebel.  The problem that I’ve been struggling with though when I get offended  by their comments is wanting to reply to them.

These commenters have written things that are critical and insulting.  They say things and make accusations that aren’t true.  Often, they take things I say and twist or misconstrue them.  They definitely appear to be in “attack” mode.  My first gut reaction is that I’m extremely offended.  I feel very angry because I feel a sense of injustice.  I deeply want to want to argue with their comments.  It takes an awful lot of restraint not to say anything.  Instead of arguing and fighting back, I’ve had to learn to hold my tongue and fight back with prayer.

Biblical communication guidelines

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Scriptures About Hope

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Scriptures About Hope

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” Hebrews 6:19a (NIV)

Hope is eager anticipation and expectation for something we desire that we don’t have yet. Hope is important in life because it can keep us stable and secure in an ever-changing and volatile world. The Bible says that hope is an anchor for our soul. Here we have a mental picture of an anchor holding a boat secure. Because of the anchor, it will not float away, get off course, or wreck.

Similarly, this is what hope does for us. It holds us and anchors us to be steadfast so that we don’t drift away or wreck, especially during the storms of life. When chaos surrounds us, hope holds us steady. Hope also helps us in the waiting process. The words “wait,” “wait confidently,” or “wait patiently” often go synonymously with “hope” throughout scripture. Sometimes the words interchange from translation to translation.

When chaos surrounds us, hope holds us steady.

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We can get our hope from God, his son Jesus, his Spirit, and his word (the Bible). The Lord will be our encourager and will give us hope. God’s word, the Bible, gives us hope through what we read, the examples we see, and through the promises contained therein. Additionally, we should put our hope IN God. We can see examples of this and encouragement to do this throughout scripture. This is especially prevalent in David proclaiming this throughout the Psalms.

Because hope will be an important component of a healthy relationship with God and others, I’ve put together a reference or resource page with some helpful scriptures about hope.

Sources of hope (the Lord, God’s word/Bible, Jesus, the Holy Spirit)

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5 (NIV)

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.” Psalm 119:114 (NLT)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“And his name will be the hope of all the world.” Matthew 12:21 (NLT)

“Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:2-5 (NIV)

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (NIV)

“I say this because our hope of being right with God comes through faith. And the Spirit helps us feel sure as we wait for that hope.” Galatians 5:5 (ERV)

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

“This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.” 1 Timothy 1:1 (NLT)

Be steadfast in hope, hope when there’s no reason to hope

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Scriptures About the Lord is My Helper

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Scriptures About the Lord is My Helper

The Bible declares that the Lord, God, is our helper. He is there to help us in times of need. That is a promise from scripture. It is part of who God is. It is one of his defining characteristics and traits. We are God’s children, and we have the one true and only God on our side to back us up and empower us. God loves us. He is for us, not against us, and he will help when we need it and when we call out to him. He is your helper and my helper!

There are times in our lives where we face trouble, when we need direction, or when we truly can’t do things on our own. We all need help from time to time. We will need help to do some of the things that God has called us to do. Sometimes that help can come from others, but other times we need help directly from God. It’s okay to ask for help, from others and from God! God will partner with us in the things that we face, big or small.

Therefore this week I’d like to share some scriptures to inform you and build your confidence in the fact that the Lord is your helper!

Scriptures about the Lord is my helper:

“By the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” Genesis 49:25 (ESV)

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song to God, and spoke, saying, Let us sing to the Lord, for he is very greatly glorified: horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. He was to me a helper and protector for salvation: this is my God and I will glorify him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:1-2 (BST)

“There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.” Deuteronomy 33:26 (NLT)

“Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.” Deuteronomy 33:29 (NIV)

“And the song was thus: O Lord, my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God; he shall be to me my guard, I will trust in him: he is my protector, and the horn of my salvation, my helper, and my sure refuge; thou shalt save me from the unjust man. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I shall be saved from my enemies.” 2 Samuel 22:2-4 (BST)

“But You, LORD, do not be far away; You who are my help, hurry to my assistance.” Psalm 22:19 (NASB)

“Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!” Psalm 27:9 (NLT)

“The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalm 28:7 (NLT)

“We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 (NLT) Continue reading →

Funny Friday: Jaden has one dollar bill

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Funny Friday: Jaden has one dollar bill

I love this little guy’s take on this math problem so much! “Jaden has one dollar bill, one quarter, and two pennies. How much money does he have?”

“There will always be some in the land who are poor…” Deuteronomy 15:11a (NLT)

Scriptures About Direction from God

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Scriptures About Direction from God

Do you ever have those times where you just really don’t know what to do and you need some direction from God? I’ve written about this a few times before…

Don’t understand? Stuck? Confused? Need direction? Ask God!

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

How to Understand God’s Will

However, I’ve yet to put together a list of scriptures about direction from God until now. I always find scripture to be helpful because it’s a promise from God that I can stand on and/or His own word that I can pray directly back to him. Therefore today’s post will contain an abundance of Bible verses for you about direction from God to hopefully help you if you’re in a position of needing some guidance.

Scripture can be helpful because it’s a promise from God that you can pray directly back to Him.

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Scriptures encouraging us to ask God

God doesn’t want us to be confused, and he wants to be confident in coming to him and to his Word (the Bible) with our needs and to ask for guidance or direction. When we ask God, He will guide us to the answer and direct our steps. The answer does not always come immediately, in our timetable (Habakkuk 2:3, 2 Peter 3:9, Isaiah 55:8-9). It’s important to remember that we need to listen for, expect an answer, and wait on an answer.

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace…” 1 Corinthians 14:33a (ESV)

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God…” Hebrews 4:16a (NLT)

“The revelation of Your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.” Psalm 119:130 (HCSB)

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 (NIV)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

“You do not have, because you do not ask.” James 4:2b (ESV)

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22 (NIV)

Scriptures About Direction from God

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This Will Change How You View Stress

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Read this post to change how you view stress...

This Will Change How You View Stress 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) 

To complement last week’s post about being stressed out, I thought we’d revisit a previous post on a different way of looking at stress…

This past week in my college classes we were discussing stress…including its symptoms, causes, advantages, disadvantages, and how to manage it.  Since we are all about being Happy, Healthy and Prosperous at this website, I thought it fitting to discuss stress here too since it can have an impact on all three areas…our happiness, our prosperity and definitely our health.

The dictionary defines stress as physical, mental or emotional strain or tension.  Things that happen in our life can contribute to strong feelings of worry or anxiety.  We can also feel stress when a variety of demands on us increase or when we feel threatened by a situation.  There are many things that can factor in or add to stress, and most commonly stress has a negative connotation.  Stress can, however, be leveraged for good if balanced properly.

In class I showed a TED Talk video about how to make stress your friend.  This video greatly changed the way I have always perceived stress.  After viewing it myself, I immediately wanted to share it with my friends and family.  I would also like to share it here.  The video is about 14 minutes long, but it’s well worth the watch when you have the time.  Who knows…It may even prolong and enhance your life!  If you don’t have time to watch it now, I highly encourage you to bookmark the video link page and watch it later.  You can watch/bookmark the video on the TED website by clicking here or by clicking on the YouTube site link here (both sites have a “Watch Later” option).

Our perception affects stress’s impact

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Stressed Out?

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Stressed Out?

I don’t typically think of myself as a person who gets stressed out easily, and I don’t often get too overwhelmed. I’m a fairly good multitasker–not necessarily good at doing several things at once but being able to prioritize several things. Since all of the COVID-19 mess and shelter-in-place orders though, everything seems equally urgent and important. Additionally, so many things lately are completely out of my control, which I DON’T like.

There were multiple things to do, all with a sense of urgency. I was wearing many hats and had lots of things on my plate. So many things were time consuming, and it never seemed like there was enough time to get it all done. I love a good to-do list because they tend to help me feel less stressed. Though one day I made a to-do list with about 8-10 items on it…I only finished 2 of them that day, which made me feel even worse.

On top of that, several people were making demands of me, and it felt like everybody wanted (insert demand) RIGHT NOW. I hate letting people down, and I always want to lend a helping hand where I’m able. However, I found myself getting irritated about not getting my stuff done because of people asking and expecting me to do things.

Thus, I would definitely have labeled myself as very stressed recently. I have found a few things that have proven extremely helpful during this season, so I thought I would pass them along in case others might be a little stressed too.

Helpful advice from others when I’m stressed

It’s always a good idea to have a good support system and to reach out and take heed to the counsel of trusted people in your life. Fortunately I surround myself with an excellent support system that can talk some sense into me when I don’t always think clearly. My husband, Eric, reminded me that sometimes it’s okay to let some things go. He pointed out where I might be putting unrealistic expectations on myself.

My boss at the college where I teach reiterated to me that we are in “good enough” mode, not “best practices” mode. I think she knows how we like to do our jobs with excellence, but she reassured us that the college would be understanding in times of crisis where we sometimes just need to do what it takes to get by.

I had some great counsel from a couple of friends who already homeschool their kids and work from home. They were able to guide me to be flexible with a routine, not rigid (not my structured-self tends to be) and to remember that each child is different and would work at different paces and have different needs.

I received counsel and a few other friends and family members reminded me that I need to set boundaries, say “no”, ask for help, and delegate what I can.

All of the advice and reminders really helped to lift a weight I felt. In addition to these things, I spent some extra time reading devotions about managing stress and spending some extra time in prayer and reading my Bible, where I was able to get even more wise counsel on being stressed. Specifically, I was able to pull out a few strategies from reading Philippians 4. Check them out…

Take Some Practical Steps When You Are Stressed Out:

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Is God Enlarging Your Capacity?

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Is God Enlarging Your Capacity?

I mentioned recently that I’ve been coming across a lot of opposition in a variety of areas. At times it’s seemed a bit overwhelming, and it started getting me to question why I was getting hit with so much. My boss at the college where I teach even joked with me not long ago saying, “Why are you always the one getting all of these weird, off-the-wall situations?” To which I responded, “You know, I’d really like to know the answer to that!” Well…I think I got it.

One morning after teaching one of my classes at Glory House, I was visiting with Ms. Susie, the Executive Director, about all the junk that I had been dealing with lately. During our conversation I said, “Why am I ALWAYS the one getting this stuff and having to deal with this stuff?” Ms. Susie answered quite frankly, “God is enlarging your capacity.”

Then I was like, “Oh no! I’ve been praying exactly that–for God to enlarge my capacity!” (insert face slap) I had prayed those exact words “enlarge my capacity”. These things were happening as an answer to my own prayer…an indirect answer of course! God didn’t just enlarge my capacity. He allowed me to encounter challenges that would stretch me and force my capacity to increase, to make my normal capacity boundary lines larger. I guess this is kind of like when people warn you not to pray for patience! Because you don’t just automatically get patience, you get opportunities for your patience to grow.

Our capacity must increase

About a month prior to this conversation, I had done a Bible reading plan about growing leadership capacity. In the plan, it said that in order “to see our dreams fulfilled and to continue having influence in God’s Kingdom, our capacity must increase.”[1] It talked about facing challenges, pressure, and stress to adjust our ability to manage those things (because we need to reach our potential). We don’t get rid of these things by running from them.

“The key to increasing your capacity is to decide you will allow God to work in your life, to stretch you beyond your comfort zone and enlarge your capacity to overcome challenges.”[2]

Easier is not always better. This reminded me of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. It HAS to go through the struggle and the challenge of fighting its way out of that cocoon. Those stresses and pressures against it are what enable it to become stronger. Without that process, the butterfly would be too weak to do what it was intended to do, and the same is true for us at times. Sometimes we need the struggle to make us stronger and to enlarge our capacity and ability to accomplish the things that God has called us to do.

Sometimes we need the struggle to make us stronger and to enlarge our capacity and ability.

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Making room for growth by enlarging capacity

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