Our automatic response to an insult is the real us. Our automatic response to kindness is the real us.
How we act when challenged or praised says a lot about our inner character.
If our initial response to a correction is anger or rage, then there is anger that lives inside, unseen until the challenged.
If our initial response to a correction is humility and self-reflection, then there is love, peace and kindness deep inside.
If our initial response to praise is to gloat and boast then we need to learn humility.
This is why it is good for us to be our authentic selves in receiving a challenge or challenging others, we cannot grow without these challenges.
If the challenge is not legitimate we can dismiss it, if it is true then we will want to ask the Lord to cleanse our hearts so that we might grow in holiness. And, I believe we already know if a challenge is warranted or not, we know if we have been wrong, the very reason a person would rage is that they hate they have been discovered.
A humble person, unless used to being gaslit, will know if they are guilty of anything or not. They will readily admit their guilt quickly. If they are not guilty they might recognize the challenge as manipulation to control their "feelings" to disarm them.
We must have challenges in our lives to grow in maturity, spiritually and emotionally. Those who remain spiritual and emotional infants do so because they refuse to self-reflect or receive a challenge as an opportunity to grow a character that is more Christ-like.
We ought never to become angry at a challenge whether it is true or not. If we are wrongly accused of something we can see it as a time to learn greater patience, remaining calm and never returning evil for evil. If we never had false challenges we might never learn how to handle them when they raise their ugly heads.
Whatever emerges when someone is challenged is an indicator of their inner character, whether it is prideful and stubborn or humble and pliable.
Let's be people who love to learn, looking at the lesson rather than the offense, as practice for growth in our character. Wisdom is the greatest thing we can gain and there must be trials, nasty contentious people, and challenges of all kinds in our lives from time to time to help us use the Spiritual skills God gives us.
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Hallelujah!!!!!
