I’d made an innocent mistake, but the man didn’t take it that way. He assumed evil intent, spewed accusations and made threats, and overreacted beyond reason. I let him know it too—and then stewed about it for a couple of hours. He had been rude and annoying, and I couldn’t let it go. One brief confrontation stuck with me long after the incident.
I didn’t want to be so amped up on the inside, so I tried to deescalate. Thinking about the things I should have said to him didn’t help. Wondering if I should seek him out and try to talk rationally to him didn’t help either. None of the churning in my mind brought me back down into a peaceful state of mind. What did? Blessing him. Asking God to soften his heart by being kind to him. Only then did peace return to my heart.
Perhaps that’s one reason Jesus said to bless those who curse you. It’s not only good for them. It's good for you. It keeps your heart free. Whether they deserve your blessing or not isn’t the issue. You don’t bless people because they deserve it; you bless them because that’s who you are—a blesser by nature. Or at least that’s who you’re becoming, even if you don’t think you’re there yet.
You have nothing to lose by forgiving those who have offended you except anxiety and stress. Let them go. Choose blessing instead and invite God to work in his way on the hearts of others. Let your heart return to its rest.
