How Dare You

What’s the worst name someone could call you?  It is probably different for each of us. In the movie “The Da Vinci Code”  Tom Hanks character, Robert Langdon, becomes greatly offended when a policeman he is trying to help on a case calls him a “flatfoot”. To Langdon this was an insult meaning dumb and incompetent. Later in the movie, Langdon mentions how he was insulted by this name he was called. His collegue corrects him explaining that the policeman’s father was a “bobby” or beat cop in London and well respected by the community. It turns out this name, when spoken by this policeman, was actually a compliment.  Langdon’s view of the situation was so wrong. He had only seen it from his perspective and missed the truth.

Stephen Covey, author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” also tells a story about the importance of perspective. One day a man decides to rebuild his fence.  He has the materials delivered and begins trenching out the fence lines.  All the while, his elderly neighbor watches him from the back porch giving him very dirty looks. The man assumes the neighbor is mad about the mess and the noise.  He gets very offended and begins to give dirty looks back at the man. One day the neighbor doesn’t come out.  The man looks for him all day long but he doesn’t show.  Instead his wife comes out late in the afternoon and crosses her yard to the fence line. She explains that her husband doesn’t know how to bring up the subject and is very upset about the new fence.  The man explains that the noise and mess will be over soon. The wife, with tears in her eyes, explains it is not the noise or the mess.  Her husband was a prisnor of war and his job in the camp was to move railroad ties.  (This is the very material the man has had sitting in his yard for weeks and intended to use to build the fence.) The man was heart broken as he realized he was planning to build a fence that would be a constant reminder of the most painful part of his neighbor’s life. His perspective changed in a instant. So did the fence material.

Perspective makes all the difference.  It’s how we go from “How dare you” to “I Understand”. To get a true perspective sometimes we have to pause and allow God to show us life from the other side. This can be difficult in situations where we feel attacked or offended from the start. Putting our right to be offended aside takes humility. But it is also the position in which the most power is held. This is because it takes strength to let go of the offense and seek understanding instead. This non-reaction is the very definition of meek:  “enduring injury with patience and without resentment.”  Meek is not weak.  It is, however, the difference between reacting and responding.  Jesus gives us some assistance in choosing proper responses with His words found in Matthew chapter 5 - aka: “The Be-Attitudes”.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger

and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:5-9

Chances are we will offend someone today. Chances are someone will offend us tomorrow. In the very near future, we will probably jump to conclusions or have someone judge us without the facts. But, we are in control of how we correct the situation. Its’ going to take relying on Jesus for the strength to do so let’s pray…

**Lord, I want to be more like you and see things from your point of view. Help me BE these attitudes as I seek truth in situations and with people.  Cause me to see where Satan creates illusions as a trap and protect me from his lies. Forgive me for holding on to my rights during offenses and remind me to pause so you can reveal what’s really going on. Also, please forgive me for hurting others with judgment. Give the mind of Christ to accept your truth even when it doesn’t seem fair and a heart of compassion for others, like you have for me. Open the eyes of my heart.**

BONUS CHALLENGE:

PRAY THIS PRAYER FROM EPHESIANS 1:17-19 THREE TIMES EVERYDAY THIS WEEK - FOR A FRIEND, AN OFFENDER, AND YOURSELF: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 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, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

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