PROVERBS 19

Proverbs 19:11
"Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs."

Many of my friends from high school wouldn’t recognize the man I am today. We hear it all the time: when Jesus walks with you, your life changes. For me, one of the biggest areas of change was my temper.

When I finally decided to let Jesus take over, that part of me began to shift. I became less quick-tempered and more level-headed. Don’t get me wrong—my temper still gets the best of me sometimes, but it’s nothing like it used to be. And in the world we live in today, we need more sensible people.

Take, for example, a recent Facebook post that was circulating. A man had some things stolen from him in the middle of the night. Instead of reacting in anger, he asked people to be on the lookout—not to catch or punish the thief, but to help. He believed the person must have been in need and offered to give them money, no questions asked.

People praised his post, and for good reason. It was a gracious gesture. He could have taken a different route, hoping the thief would get what they "deserved," and honestly, that post probably would’ve gotten a lot of support too. But he chose grace over anger. He chose to overlook being wronged.

Now, if I’m being honest, I understand his side—but I also see the side of justice. "Thou shall not steal" is still a commandment, and actions have consequences. But as believers, we’re also called to forgive and overlook wrongs.

Of course, it gets harder the more deeply we’re affected. It’s easier to overlook smaller offenses like a lie or gossip. But when someone takes something from you—when it feels personal—it’s a lot harder. I remember when my CD player was stolen from my car back in college. It felt like a violation, but in the end, I let it go. It was just stuff.

But what if it wasn’t just stuff? What if it was a life? As a father, I don’t even want to imagine that kind of loss, yet some people live that reality. Some have lost a loved one to violence or tragedy.

How do you respond to that? Again, justice should be served, but as a Christian, you are still called to forgive. To overlook the wrong. To let God handle it.

Most of us won’t have to face something that extreme, but all of us will be wronged in some way—big or small. The key is how we choose to respond.

We have to move ourselves out of the way and let God move in. People will hurt us, disappoint us, and let us down—but only we can choose how we respond.

PRAYER

Father, we pray that no one ever wrongs us again. We pray that if we are wronged that we have a better response than we ever have before. Lord, we pray that our relationship gets so strong with you that we overlook the wrongs that are done to us. That we truly do not care about the things of this world, but care only about what you care about. We pray that we show more compassion and empathy. We pray that we become more like you. We love you Jesus, Amen!