Have you ever had someone speak so rudely to you?

Have you ever had someone speak to you so rudely you wanted to clock them? Well if so, read on!

This week was really difficult for me. Why? Because I have never been spoken to so disrespectfully! This week I was assisting some senior high kids with their end of year assessments. It was like extracting teeth or something. I was totally unprepared for what I was thrown into, however, God in His kindness revealed so much to me.

Here's what I learned in a big nut-shell: When I was spoken rudely too by these young kids - I totally got angry! I wanted to yell and swear back at them. Why? because I don't deserve to be spoken to like that! Yet when I was driving home from work, that night, I thought about my Savior walking down the Via Dolarosa... It was a long walk ! - He has just been beaten bloody. And yet He walked this long path to Golgotha, and on the way, insults were hurled at Him. He was spat upon, His hair pulled, His beard yanked, & face slapped - and HE
N-E-V-E-R - retaliated!!! - WHY NOT???? He had every right!!!

You know as I sat in the car and thought, I was so humbled! These kids have no idea who the Savior of the world is. They have no idea the cost that has been paid for them - or they don't understand. They don't understand why Jesus Christ died for us and yet I was there once. Not caring and blinded by my own pride, selfishness and anger.

Then this morning, I read Ephesians chapter 2 and it was verses 4&5 that caught my attention: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved -"

Brothers, God is so amazingly rich in mercy it truly is indescribable. That's why Jesus never retaliated! Because being God, He is rich in mercy and He knew we were dead in our trespasses and He was about His Father's business!

As I reflected on this I thought about my lack of mercy to others when they speak in a way that is harsh, rude or degrading. You see, here's the thing, I don't deserve the grace I have been given and when I go down that track of thinking about what I deserve - that's asking for trouble, because what I deserve is, hell! Yet God in His great love, loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses... For it is truly by grace that I have been saved...

Once we truly understand this & continue to preach the truth to ourselves instead of buying into worldly thinking, we will be able to be about our Father's business praying for those we work with to have an encounter with our mighty Savior, Jesus Christ.

Brothers, if you have a boss or colleague that is rude, demanding, unkind, hurtful or sarcastic: let me encourage you to shower them with grace - the same grace that God extended to you when you were once in darkness, because perhaps they are in darkness and don't know what the Savior has done for them!