Sometimes I struggle with “just let it be” – okay, many times I struggle with “just let it be.”
If I’m accused of something I have not done, I want to defend myself. If someone misinterprets something I have said or done, then I want to explain myself.
I have been this way for as long as I can remember. It is a bad habit, and at 71 years old, I’m trying to correct this character flaw. As a person who works hard to do/say the right thing, it is difficult for me to accept that I totally mess up sometimes.
Recently there have been incidences where I totally did mess up. God and I have had several conversations about this, and thankfully He has not given up on me. He puts people in my life that lovingly point out my character flaws and He knows just the right Scripture that will get my attention – like yesterday.
He sent the perfect Scripture in my devotion:
Proverbs 17:14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. (NIV)
You may ask, “What does starting a quarrel have to do with defending or explaining yourself?”
That’s always been my question as well, until yesterday morning during my devotion. It finally dawned on me that defending and/or explaining rarely went over well with whomever I had offended because they felt unheard. They felt I was discounting what they believed to be true. There are times that my defense/explanation sounded argumentative rather than contrite.
As this began to sink in, I realized it may be better to show them with my actions/reactions, that I had heard them. That I was aware of how my reaction/words had affected them.
As I thought on this, a memory from my youth surfaced. There had been a sign on the hallway wall leading into the fellowship hall of my church which read something to the effect: Your actions are screaming so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying!
It resonated with me then, as it does now, that our actions (and reactions) are a significant part of who we are, and affect people immensely.
As I put what I’ve learned into practice, prayers are appreciated.
Just Let it Be…
See you next time,
