I've come to realize as I get older, not everything deserves a reaction.
Not every belittling moment deserves to steal your joy, your peace of mind, or the glory of God that lives within you.
That your self-worth and happiness don't come from an external source, only yourself and God.
I had spent so long trying to define my worth by the way other people treated me. Hypersensitivity lives in me and that has always played a huge role on how I chose to react to things. And now I'm learning how to let go.
You are the only one in control of your feelings and perceptions. That can either make or break you. This takes a lot of inner strength to learn how to control. It takes a lot of willpower to say, "I'm taking the high road today" and to not stoop down to a level in which you know you don't belong. And most importantly, it takes a whole lot of God.
Something that rings true for me, is people tend to treat you based on how they are feeling about themselves. If someone walks, talks and acts like a miserable person, chances are... That's just what they are. When you feel at peace with your life and the decisions you've made, it's a lot easier to treat people with the love and kindness that we all deserve. Let people revel in their misery, let them mock you, let them break you, let them feed the inner demon in which resides in all of us. Then be kind, and pray for their hearts, as well as healing and wholeness, for anyone who is trying to make you suffer is suffering within themselves. It is true when they say misery loves company.
Combating negativity and hatred, with love, respect, and kindness not only teaches the other person honorable behavior, but it gives you peace of mind. Most importantly, it honors God in the process. God asks us to love one another, to recognize the beauty in one another, to lean not on our own understanding. He urges us to hate what is pure evil, which is not our brothers and sisters, but the power sin has over them.
It also makes the other person curious. "Why are they just letting it slide? Where is the reaction?" Because we have been forgiven. God has shown us His never ending grace from the day we were born, up until the day that we die. By accepting God into our hearts, we are making a vow that we promise to mirror Him. And that absolutely starts with how we love and treat people.
If anything, I pray that you let God change your heart. He will liberate you from your chains, from your feelings of brokenness and despair. He will give you wisdom and understanding of things that most people can't quite understand.
Most importantly, He will grant you the gift of true, unbreakable love, which is something only He is able to provide.
When you surrender, He changes you. And life will never be the same from that point on.
