Wednesday, April 16, 2008

#14 Be the bigger person


Don't imitate others, be the bigger person.

As children, when we were in the midst of playing with our friends or siblings and one of the other children did something wrong to us, well, we just had to do it back, of course. But no matter how good our case was both of us would be in trouble. We would defend ourselves and say, "But, sheeeeeeeeeeeee started it." My mom didn't care. Her response, "I don't care he did it first, you don't have to do it back, you should be the bigger person." This reminds me of what I call "driver's revenge, roarrrrrrrr" When we are on the road and we get cut off by a crazy driver or we look in the rear view mirror and see someone on our butt, we almost always gets into what I call "driver's revenge, roarrrrrrrr." It's a jungle out there. You would think by the time we got our licenses we would be mature enough to be able to just let it go and move on with our life, but nope, our adult response, he must pay!

Christianity
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. -Luke 6:27-28

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. -Romans 12:14

If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
—Luke 6:27-35

Random
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business. -Mohandas K. Gandhi

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend. - Abraham Lincoln

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