With a 🍒 on Top

Have you ever felt hurt by someone and wanted to make sure everyone knew it? Oh man, I sure have! But when I turn to scripture, I see how 1 Peter 3:9 encourages us to respond.

"Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it." - 1 Peter 3:9

To “pay them back with a blessing”! Seriously?! How in the world can I muster it up to do that when I am hurting, afraid, or rejected? (And don’t even get me started on giving someone what I think they “deserve” for me to dish up and force-feed to them!)

A humble servant’s heart should sound more like, “Here you go, Sir. One blessing to go, with a cherry on top!”

(Yes, that’s MUCH more pleasing than my initial knee-jerk reaction!)

Here’s the truth - how I respond is my choice. It’s not always easy, but obedience is always the road to blessing. So - I’m gonna keep standing even when I'm knocked down because that's what God says to do. I choose to keep loving, forgiving, and dishing out blessings. That's the only way I can maintain my JOY!