Take a breath

Have you ever felt like you’re at odds with the people around you? Ever felt like your opinion either isn’t valued or that it’s just largely ignored?

If you have, you will know that it’s not a pleasant place to find yourself. And whether it’s real or you’ve imagined it, the feelings it brings are real, upsetting and unsettling to say the least.

When we feel that we’re being treated poorly and that things aren’t how we would like them to be, what do we do? What can we do?

What are some of our options?

We could get angry, and in no uncertain terms give it to those who we perceive as having wronged us and tell them how we think it should be! We could simply close down, withdraw ourselves from whatever the situation is that we aren’t happy with and from the people who aren’t acting as we feel they should. Either of these are viable options and a lot of people often choose them. However if these are our responses every time things don’t go our way, we may find ourselves very much alone and isolated quite quickly.

So what else is there to do?

Jesus said - “Do to others as you would like them to do to you”. Luke 6:31 (NLT)

That’s really worth thinking about - especially if, like me, your immediate reaction is to fight fire with fire.

Jesus further tells us “…love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you”. Luke 6:27 (NLT)

Why would we do that?

Well Jesus also tells us - "do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive…the amount you give will determine the amount you get back”. Luke 6:37-28 (NLT)

The only thing we can truly control is ourselves and how we react. When we find ourselves in a situation that is challenging and upsetting, stop, take a breath and try to ‘Do to others as you would like them to do to you’.

The Bible contains a lot more practical advice that can help us deal with the daily challenges of life.

Do yourself a favour and check it out!