It seems that everyday the Lord gives us opportunities to prove our relationship with Him. He allows us to get into situations that will cause us to have to demonstrate our love for those that are hard to love. He will set us up to see if we can hold our tongue or at least give a soft answer to a hard challenge. I think it’s safe to say that a true test of our relationship with God is if we can take a licking and keep on ticking.
It doesn’t feel good at times to have to not respond, not fight back, not engage further or to not have a opportunity to make your point. Sometimes we have to just allow the Holy Spirit to constrain us and to keep us. A real test of our relationship with God is to do what Jesus did when confronted with a hard challenge.
Listen to the scriptures:
1 Peter 2:23
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Luke 6:27-28
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
I know someone needed to hear this. I have to walk in this often. I hope by the grace of God that I pass most of the tests that I’ve been given to prove my relationship with God.
Remember these words:
James 1:26
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
If you hold your peace, God will fight your battles. Can I get a witness?
—Vaughn McLaughlin