Many conflicts in our lives are caused by our supposed need to address every insult we perceive that we have received. But the Bible lets us know that it can be to a man’s glory to overlook an offense. Sometimes we need to make a conscious choice not to react to nasty things said about us if those nasty things are clearly untrue.
Perhaps this proverb will help.
Proverbs 26:2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.
The picture here is simple. Birds fly over your head. If they do not land on you, they really do not impact you. Well, a curse spoken against you, a nasty thing said about you, one that is not true, is like a bird that does not land on you. If the nasty thing is untrue, it should not provoke you to a reaction any more than does a bird flying past. Undeserved curses do not come to rest.
Now, obviously it requires wisdom to know when to respond to an insult and when to let it go. Some untruths have to be countered for the glory of God and for the defense of our Christian message. But the point we also need to grasp is that not all insults require us to stand and fight. Some are so foolish, so small, so obviously wrong that we can ignore them in the same way we ignore a pigeon.
So, Christian, pray that God will give you wisdom. Yes, when it matters, go to bat. But when it does not matter, let it fly by.
Also, Christian, ask the Lord, when you are offended by an insult, if it should land. Perhaps you are offended because what is said about you has a grain of truth in it. Let that lead you to repentance.
Pastor Travis Peterson 