Overlooking Insults

Our wisdom for today comes from Proverbs 19:11:

“A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.”

Have you ever wished for more patience? According to this proverb, patience comes from wisdom. To put it bluntly, wise people are patient people. It is a good thing to overlook someone’s insult.

Some one else put it this way, “A wise person is patient and it is a good thing to forgive others and not stay angry.”

Once one of my grown children was fretting about an insult that someone said behind her back. I was glad to share Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 with her.
“Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you. For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.”

This verse calls us not to be overly sensitive to what others say, as we too have spoken negatively at times. It’s a call to overlook minor offenses and avoid unnecessary hurt.

Gandhi captured this concept well: “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” True strength lies in the ability to forgive and to let go of anger.

I’m Lonnie Davis 
And these are thoughts worth thinking.