One of the marks of spiritual maturity isn't that nothing bothers you anymore. You just learn to decide what is worth being bothered about. Personally, I took the "pick your battles" advice to heart and have found less interest in fewer and fewer battles.
I see this kind of spiritual maturity as a gift of the Spirit. The apostle Paul says it this way, "We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Romans 15:1). That raises an uncomfortable question to wrestle with. Am I spiritually strong enough to let other people inconvenience me?
Sometimes, I think our "standing for truth" is really just defending our preferences. Have you noticed the uproar that can happen when people get frustrated because someone is late, sings differently than they like, asks too many questions, or just doesn't see things the same way?
Paul points us to a strength that isn't measured by how much control I have over others. Instead, it asks how willing I am to carry the weight of someone else's weaknesses without making everything about me.
Of course, that doesn't mean we ignore sin or never confront harmful behavior. Jesus certainly didn't. But there is a world of difference between confronting what hurts people and becoming irritated because people annoy me.
Paul reminds us that Christ "did not please himself." Jesus bore the misunderstandings of so many people, even though it would cost him, because love was more important than being "right."
Maybe you do have a right to be upset. Then again, is it something Jesus would ask you to carry or confront?
Growing up in Christ means fewer battles over ourselves and greater passion for what builds others up. That's the kind of strength that points people toward Jesus.
Stay blessed...john
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