#87 – Opposite Spirit

Good morning Christ-like ones

It is easy to be nice to someone who is nice to you. It’s easy to forgive someone who sincerely apologizes and changes. It’s easy to respect someone in authority who talks with respect and values you. It’s easy to be a good Christian when things are going according to our plans and everything is nice. But have you noticed not everything turns out how we want? Have you ever had times when being nice to someone, forgiving someone or respecting someone is the last thing you want to do? I have and I know you have. So what should we do in these situations?

Someone once gave me a life-changing piece of advice. They told me that when I felt hurt I should go in the opposite spirit. This goes against the culture of our world and to be perfectly honest, how I feel at the time. It takes effort, sometimes every ounce of it, but it pays huge dividends. There is something powerful that happens when we forgive a nasty person or respect a dishonouring leader. There is something powerful when you are intentionally and sacrificially nice to someone who has hurt you. You might not think you can do this by yourself but that’s the beauty of it. We have the Holy Spirit who is willing and wanting to help us. Again from my experience, He doesn’t zap us and make it easy. What He does is He helps us when we take a step forward.

Today does a situation come to your mind that is very challenging for you? I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to help you go in the opposite spirit and to do what Jesus would do. It may be difficult but you can do it.

Matthew 7:12 (The Message) Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.