THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever been offended? Had your feelings hurt?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 19:11. Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
God is described in the Bible as being slow to anger. Solomon is telling us that it is good sense for us to be slow to anger too. Do you get mad easily? Are you angry over things that are not that big of a deal? If so then Solomon is saying that you lack good sense, patience, self-control, wisdom.
Solomon isn’t saying that we should never be angry. God doesn’t want us to pretend like nothing bad happened. He doesn’t want us to never be angry. He wants us to be slow to anger. If your friend hurts your feelings, if they say something mean, you don’t have to be quick to anger, you can be slow to anger. Remember, everyone makes mistakes, including you.
God also wants us to overlook offenses. We don’t have to hold a grudge, tattle-tale, or get upset over every little thing. Yes, the other person hurt your feelings and that’s wrong, but you can overlook it. You can say, “That’s OK.” Or, “No big deal,” or “I forgive you.” And when we do it is the glory of God’s grace.
Side Note: if your friend is constantly mean over and over on purpose, then that should make you angry. You can be angry about their sin and let them know how their behavior makes you feel, or you can get help from a trusted adult.
Why can we overlook offenses and be slow to anger? Not because God overlooked all of our offenses, quite the opposite. He punished all of our offenses through Jesus on the cross. Jesus has paid for every sin, every mean word, every hurtful deed, every rude thought. If that is true, then we can let God be God, while we choose to show love to everyone, even when they offend us.
Because of Jesus every offense is paid for by his cross.
With Jesus we can be slow to anger and overlook offenses by grace.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Help your children learn to ask these three questions when their feelings get hurt: 1) was it accidental? 2) does it keep happening? 3) is it harmful? Knowing when to overlook or not takes wisdom, so keep asking God who gives generously.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you paid for all my sins on the cross. Help me to remember that as I now overlook mean and hurtful things by your grace. Amen.
TLICfamily 