Day 171.
Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. (Ecc 7:21-22)
Can you imagine all of the people that would be your enemies if everyone whom you said something bad about chose to pay you back in kind? So it is with those who say something negative about you or even to you. Don’t take it to heart. Let it roll off your back and forgive.
The thing that has helped me more than anything in actually doing this is to remember Romans 5:8. “While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you.” Imagine yourself saying this same bad word about Christ and put that into the first part of this verse. This is exactly what Jesus did for you. He took it and rather than raising his defenses or getting mad back at you, he willingly went to the cross to pay for that very sin! His forgiveness bore the very penalty that your sin demands. And so, you are not to begrudge others who say a bad word against you.
