Harsh words and hurtful actions often say more about the person dishing them out than the one receiving them. When we are able to “Pause, Pray, and Preach to ourselves” in the face of insults, we give God the opportunity to reveal to us how He sees the other person and how we can be a part of building them up instead of tearing them down. What changes might we see in our world if we could choose to leave retribution up to God and instead focus on how we might help heal their hearts?
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”
Luke 6:27
4 Ideas for Encouraging Your Discouragers:
- Only say encouraging words. Romans 12:14 tell us “bless and do not curse” and Proverbs 18:21 says that “the tongue has the power of life and death.” Even though we were taught, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” the Bible teaches us that we should actively speak blessings over our enemies.
- Pray for them. Sometimes boundaries are necessary for harmful relationships, but we can always pray. The Bible teaches us that prayer is a powerful form of warfare – and lest we forget, we are always at war with the enemy of our souls – the true enemy. Prayer also does a work in our own hearts and provides us with peace.
- Give a gift. A friend of mine once shared a special way that she deals with someone who insults her or hurts her feelings. First, she spends time praying for the person, then she purchases or makes a thoughtful gift for them. In this process, her heart is protected from bitterness and the other person is often softened by her response.
- Do something good for them. This idea is straight from the verse above – do good to those who hate you. Remember – whatever you do, do it as for the Lord! If you are having difficulty thinking of a service you can perform for your discourager, pray that God will provide you with an opportunity.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
Colossians 3:23