Let It Go
I sat at a coffee shop last Tuesday and watched a man spill his drink. It was a tiny splash on his shoe. But he spent the next ten minutes yelling at the barista. He wanted a fight, and he wanted everyone to know it.
We do this all the time, even if we do not shout. Someone leaves a mean comment online. A coworker makes a sharp remark about our work. A family member brings up an old mistake at dinner.
We feel a sudden heat in our chest. We want to fire back, correct the lie, or prove that we are right.
You Do Not Have To Respond
But you do not have to respond to everything.
When people throw words at you, you do not have to catch them. You can just let them fall. We can let go of things instead of getting upset.
He who restrains his words has knowledge. A man of understanding is of a cool spirit. - Proverbs 17:27
Staying quiet does not mean you are weak. It means you are choosing where to spend your strength. God gives us a limited amount of energy each day. We should not waste it on arguments that do not matter.
Guarding Your Time
Not everything everyone says is worth your breath. Most of the noise around us does not matter. It does not change who you are to God.
Think about how much time we lose by thinking about arguments. We practice what we should have said in the car or in the shower. We try to prove our point over and over in our heads.
That time is gone. It is not worth your time to fix every bad opinion.
People will misunderstand you, and that is okay. Jesus faced lies and often said nothing at all. He knew His work, and He did not let critics stop Him.
Choosing Peace Over Being Right
When we let go, we trust God to handle it. We stop trying to judge everyone around us.
Take a deep breath the next time you feel an urge to fight back. Ask yourself if this will matter in a year, or even in a week. Usually, the answer is no.
Let the unkind words stop with you. Do not answer them. Just walk away and keep your peace.