Home for the Holidays? Surviving Your Family Even if They Drive You NutsSample

Pay No Attention

First Corinthians 13:5 says that love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. The Amplified Bible says it this way: [Love] takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 

Can you imagine, when a family member does something that hurts you or makes you mad, that you could take no notice of it, pay no attention to it?  If, when they offend you (intentionally or not), you just forgive automatically, before offense even has a chance to hit your heart or get stuck in your mind? 

Wow, is that even possible? Yes, I think it is! I think it’s in the Bible for a reason. It’s freedom! And we can do it because God’s love resides in us. Romans 5:5 says: The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

God’s agape, unconditional love is in you! Not natural human love — not an ooey-gooey feeling — but the supernatural God-kind of love is already in the hearts of every believer. This means that you and I can make a choice every day to yield to it. 

Living that way every day will take some practice, for sure. But we can’t even begin that journey unless we’re aware of it and we want to act on it. 

I think the only way to walk in this kind of love – to pay no attention when someone hurts us -- is to get really good at forgiving the big things and the small things. The more we practice, the better we get at it. When we practice forgiving the small things — the little daily irritations — we can more easily and quickly forgive when the bigger hurts come along.  We will find that we can walk away from the hurt with barely a scratch on us. 

Your goal this holiday season can be that you'll become a quick forgiver so that you can live in freedom and be a blessing to your whole family. I believe that’s how God wants us to live, and He’s empowered us to do it. 

Did this plan help you? Check out more in Karen’s book “I Forgive You, But…” – read the first part here.