I was having a nice day. Then somebody insulted me, and I became irritated. I thought I had dismissed the remark, but I found myself later in the day angry about the comment. I wanted to retaliate. But I thought about Christ instead, and I became aware of how petty and childish my thoughts were.
So what if I was insulted? Christ was insulted, wrongly accused and lied about by the religious leaders during His trial before the Sanhedrin, which would bring Him closer to His crucifixion. When I want to lash out in anger, I remember that Jesus took forty lashes at the hand of a Roman soldier on the way to the cross. When I am ready to act according to my sinful and corrupt nature, the Spirit reminds me that Jesus Christ carried my sin in His body to the cross and then died.
Sure, at the time, the insult seemed big. But the Spirit showed me what a little thing it was. Insults are little things; God is big. See what God in Christ has done. The perfect, innocent Son of God died on a cross for a world of sinners who were insulting Him, screaming at Him, angry with Him and hating Him. He willingly suffered shame and death so all sinners, including me, could be saved. Christ has suffered so I could be saved. What have I to be mad about?
“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Jesus Christ died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Romans 8:34 NLT).
Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.
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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASBLife Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2