It’s easy to get offended. Especially if you have someone insulting you or yelling at you for no apparent reason. There was someone in my life like that and I figured I’d let them know just how much they were offending me. So, I yelled back, reacted, got all wild and woolly at them. Next thing I know, the whole argument is my fault and I am the one behaving badly. (Well, I probably was, but I was definitely not the one who started it.) I guess we’ve all been there.
Then, one day I heard this terrific message by a preacher. (I can’t remember who it was, but if you’re out there reading this, sorry if I’m ripping off your stuff!) Dead men don’t react! It’s very simple really. If you insult a dead person, they do nothing. If you kick them or punch them, they do nothing. They don’t fight back.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. [Galatians 2:20]
Now, as Christians we have supposedly put our old nature to death with Christ, and it is He who lives in us. That being the case, that part of us that wants to get offended and fight should be dead and therefore not react.
So, I put this into practise with my difficult person. The next time they started to be insulting, I swallowed my desire to defend myself and remained calm. Within minutes I had an apology and it was all over. It is amazing how quickly a person will realise they are in the wrong when no-one else is doing any yelling!
Call it a new conflict resolution technique; play dead. 🙂
Romancing The Rock 