Guest Writer: Angela Talley
I could remember my thoughts.
This is not worth it.
Why do words from her feel like an attack?
Can I please finish my thought without being interrupted?
Was her text message genuine?
Why couldn’t she just be honest with me in the first place?
My emotions were out of control. I felt paralyzed, hurt, prideful, and misunderstood after receiving a belittling text message from a friend. I wanted to defend myself with a reaction that wasn’t pleasing to God, but could potentially hurt a relationship I had been working to build.
Before responding, God directed me to Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy, and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
I was tempted to take control over the situation because being understood was more important than being compassionate. Have you felt this way before?
When words come against us that hurt, it’s easy to allow our flesh to respond quickly.
However, in those emotionally charged moments, it’s crucial to take a moment to seek God before we respond. We are His chosen people; therefore, we must not forget to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience in all circumstances.
After crafting my text message response, I prayed over my words and asked for forgiveness for how I initially reacted in my heart towards this person. I’m grateful God’s word got a hold of me before hitting send, and know the outcome would have been much different if I wouldn’t have paused to seek God first. When we allow God to rule over our lives, He will give us the words to respond with that are pleasing to Him.
Have you ever had moments where you wanted to react before seeking God?
What is one thing you can do to remind yourself to seek compassion and understanding over control?
Angela resides in Middle Tennessee where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys. Many of their family adventures include digging in the dirt, searching for flowers, or playing superheroes-Spiderman and Captain America respectively.
She serves the women at her local church and in the community by leading Bible studies and small get-togethers. Her passion for serving women is to help them become disciples of Jesus. You can find more from Angela through her website and Instagram account @bethelightcoaching !