Has someone ever said or done something to you that just "pushed your buttons?" You know, something that got you peeved. Sometimes people (often people I know and love) say things that are intended to rile me up. Sometimes they unknowingly do so. Regardless of their intentions, my response is often the same:
I escalate the conflict.
I am a consummate arguer and have a strong desire to prove myself right. Make a rude comment to me and rest assured, I will try to one-up you with some sarcastic, and often mean-spirited quip. In other words, when it comes to conflict, I tend to bring a can of gasoline to the fire instead of bringing water, and before you know it, I've turned a spark into an inferno. It's been a real problem for me - a relational, emotional, and spiritual bombshell.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:39: "But I tell you, do not resist the evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also."
But how do I have the presence of mind not to slap back and the resolve to position myself to take another, painful slap?
A friend of mine compared this to playing baseball:
He said, "Butch, sometimes it feels like people are throwing baseballs at your head at 98 MPH. You've got to put on your catcher's mitt and catch them before the get into your head. And then, once you've caught the ball, you can't throw the ball back; you've got to toss those baseballs to the side. Catch and toss to the side, catch and toss to the side."
I thought that was good imagery and good advice. I'll be praying that God gives me the presence of mind to override my prideful and fearful desires to escalate, and the stamina to catch baseballs until my opponent's arm grows too weary to throw them.
photo credit: Jeremy Brooks via photopin cc
photo credit: jeffmontgomery via photopin cc
