BECOMING A BETTER ME...part 8

Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble. ~ Psalm 119:165

In this year of growing I've learned that to change you have to admit your faults...so....I HAVE SOMETHING TO ADMIT....I AM EASILY OFFENDED!

I have been working diligently on getting a new mind-set because I know it is NOT a good character trait and makes life very difficult.

When I am around people who could hurt me or in situations where I could be offended, I have to constantly remind myself that I am not going to let negative people control my mood. They have problems and they are not going to give them to me.

I do not want to give control of my moods to other people. Being hurt or offended does not change that person it only steals my joy and ruins my day.

I need to focus on forgiving and believing the best about people and not the offense. I need to think more about the positive traits of others and not the negative.

This does not mean I have to bury my issues, but I need to learn when I am the most easily offended (tired, sick, frustrated, hormonal) and not bring up my issues at that time. Also, if someone has a different opinion that is not a rejection of me, either.

As Joyce says, "Life is too short to waste one day being angry, bitter and resentful. Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping it kills the other person." I want to make the right choices and not let my emotions rule how I act. Forgiving my enemies sets me free to move on with my life.

I love what Joyce says about forgiveness. "We should be spiritually mature, patient, kind and gentle with others and wise enough not to allow them to offend us. We cannot control what people do to us, but through God we can control the way we respond to them."

I'm not where I need to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be! God is so good!