Be nice to someone undeserving

• Why is this a challenge?
  • We don’t want to be taken advantage of or hurt.
  • Can’t get over past events
  • Think about how we’ve been hurt before
  • See them hurting someone else
  • See someone we love being hurt by them
  • Someone we love being used in a way to hurt us
  • Rationalize that we can just be indifferent
  • They may justify our kindness as approval for their actions
• How do we overcome this?
• Examples
  • Saul appointed king (I Samuel 10:27), David overthrown by Absalom (II Samuel 19:22)
    • Chosen leaders by God. Men stood against them.
    • They were humble and didn’t strike them down.
  • Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he married a Cushite woman (Numbers 12)
    • Numbers 12:3
• Romans 12:9-19

Let someone else decide

• Submitting to someone, putting others first, being at peace with all men
• What are some other ways we can view this as being Christ like?
• What about when our decision is the best decision?
  • Colossians 1:17
• Extremely challenging because it requires us to fully put our trust in others.
  • Ephesians 5:21; I Corinthians 13:5; Romans 12:18
• What problems can result in the local church when we don’t humble ourselves in this?
• Outside of the church?
• Mark 10:42-45

Refuse to complain

• Everyone has a voice. We have an American right to that voice. We can use that voice to complain.
  • Put our complaints in perspective first.
• Complaint = offended
  • James 1:2-3