“Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat.” 1 Corinthians 4:12-13

The Gracious Response

The time we live in is opinionated, divisive, and abrasive. I hear it on the news and in stores and it is woven into movies and television shows.  It is grating and loud and insistent.  “And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31).

In the Christian Standard Bible the verse reads like this: “When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we respond graciously.” We respond graciously. That is the polar opposite of much of what we encounter in the world today.

I know that not everyone is obnoxious and demanding, but it is definitely apparent. Not only is it apparent, but it is seen as being courageous, smart, strong, and is fully accepted as normal behavior in some quarters.

How different is our Lord! Being reviled, He gave His own life a ransom for many. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

The Apostle Paul got the message. “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7).

I confess this is an area that I need to work on. When I am reviled, I often respond quickly with anger or take offense much too easily. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

When “persecuted,” I can come back with dark thoughts of getting even and setting the record straight. I can become more concerned with my own wants and needs and forget those around me also have needs and feelings that I am trampling upon. I am too insistent in my arguments because I want to be proven right. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14).

And if I am defamed, so what? Rather than rising up in indignation, what if I simply took my case before the Judge of all the earth and let Him be my Advocate? “My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart” (Psalm 7:10). What if I responded graciously? What if I let Jesus be Jesus in me?

We bless and do not curse. We endure patiently (and quietly) the sting of insult. We respond with grace. We are gentle and patient and kind. This is how I want to live. I don’t want to look like the world. I want to look like Jesus.

Father, I have such a long way to go, but I choose Your ways over the ways of this culture.  I choose Your ways over my own ways. I choose You. Amen.