“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” — 1 Peter 3:8-9, NIV
Unfortunately, not everyone will treat us with the kindness and consideration that we would hope for. In fact, dealing with difficult people is a part of life. Even though we cannot control how they act or treat us, we get to choose how we treat them.
As Christians, we should not strive to treat “evil with evil or insult with insult.” Our actions toward others should overflow with love and forgiveness because God loves and has forgiven us.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” — 1 Peter 4:8, NIV
Sharing kindness with those who are not showing us the same respect is not easy. Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit to help us as we struggle with being loving or having self-control. We can pray to God about our struggles in this or any area.