masters at the art of put downs…

another principle in dealing with difficult people or coping with cranky co-workers is to refuse to retaliate. the bible says to refuse to retaliate when those people come out with their guns blazing, trying to attack you.

1 peter 3.9 (niv) says, do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.

now let me ask you. when somebody insults you, what is your natural reaction? hey get em back! insult them back.

americans are pros at this. i mean, we are masters at the art of put downs.

there is a book out that is called, three thousand put downs. the only problem with it is as a pastor i can't use it.

stuff like, she must use gun powder on her face, it always looks shot. or she looks like a doll, even her hair is pasted on. he has a really unusual voice, it's like asthma set to music. or he sure has big ears, from the front he looks like a taxi cab with both doors open. she talks so much, her tongue got sunburned. or she thinks her chin is her best feature but to me it looks like a double feature.

so if someone says something like that what do you do? the bible says, don't retaliate. don't get even.

proverbs 12.16 (tev), when a fool is annoyed, he quickly lets it be known. smart people will ignore an insult.

what he is saying here is that a mark of maturity is a mature reaction. if you are immature, you are offended easily. you get offended at the slightest thing.

you can always tell a mature CHRISTian because it is almost impossible to offend a mature CHRISTian. they just let things slide off their backs. they just don't take things personally. you have to hit them over the head with a two by four to offend a mature person.

he is saying that smart people just don't listen to insults. JESUS refused to be intimidated by insults, HE wouldn’t listen to them, HE just wouldn't waste any time or energy responding to them.

refuse to retaliate. don't try to get even by mouthing off. it only makes matters worse. leave revenge to GOD. just don't take it into your own hands.

just a thought from the front porch…