In today's Gospel reading, how does Jesus react when the Pharisees accuse him of being in partnership with the devil? Apparently, he doesn't react at all. He refused to let them control his behavior and his attitude and his response.
When someone treats us unfairly or unkindly, how much control do we hand over to that person? If we react instead of choosing how to act, if our anger lingers, if we feel discouraged, if we wallow in "poor me" self-pity, or if we stop what we're doing, we've given away too much. Why let others control us like that? Why allow them to motivate us into unhappiness?
Jesus was motivated, not by harassment but by the needs of the people. The awareness of what he could do for them stirred him to continue his tour of the towns and villages despite false accusations that damaged his reputation.
When we serve God, we don't have time for the nonsense that people toss at us in their attacks. It's only God's opinion of us that matters anyway. By staying focused on Jesus and following him wherever he leads us, we can enjoy what we're doing for his kingdom.
No one has the right to steal our joy! So why give it up?
No comments:
Post a Comment