To be kind to someone who treats us badly is probably the hardest thing to do. When someone hurts you, the first thing you think of is to plan out your revenge. It takes self-control to honor God by learning to “turn the other cheek.”
I have a reminder on my phone with this verse, and I contemplate and pray it every morning. Being reminded daily that He affectionately cares and closely watches over me helps me grasp that there is nothing that gets past His loving attention.
When I read this verse, it reminds me that we can come to Jesus just as we are. There is no need to pretend like we have life all figured out or that we don’t have problems.
From age 7, this was my favorite Bible verse, never knowing how it would carry me through the darkest period of my life, when a trusted friend and colleague tried to destroy me as a pastor with false allegations.
