Learn to deal with it.
“ Whoever strikes you on the one cheek, present to him the other also; and whoever takes your cloak from you, do not even withhold your tunic from him. To anyone who asks you, give; and whoever takes what is yours, do not ask for it back.” — Luke 6:29–30
All Christians always need help with the above phrase because it is a spiritual lesson of the first order and, therefore, tough to learn.
We think, “I am a Christian, not a fool,” but people take advantage of our faith and treat us as fools.
It has happened to me, and it will continue to happen to me, and I’m sure it will happen to you too. People abuse our good faith over and over again.
And they think we are fools.
But let me tell you why they are wrong; why you do the right thing when you turn the other cheek.
1. Self-identity makes you who you are.
Please tell me what you identify with, and I’ll let you know who you are.
- When someone asks you for something, and you refuse, you vibrate in scarcity.
- When someone tries to offend you, and you allow it, you are allowing your enemy to define you.
- When you obsess that someone owes you something, you waste your time, energy, and resources.
And all of it limits you. Because limits are what define you as an individual, reread it.
What you become defines the quality of your life. So if negative experiences with others turn you into an angry, vengeful, fearful being, guess what? Your life will be a f*cking drama: you think, “Poor me,” you have a poor life.
That’s why you have to turn the other cheek. Because hate makes you think small and be small, and love will make you feel big and be big.
2. Free yourself from pain and suffering.
I once heard a psychologist say, “Most psychological disorders that turn into psychosomatic disorders come from the same origin: lack of love.”
You have to choose whether to be the one who asks and doesn’t give back. Or the one who forgives.
If you choose to be the first one: what you have is a lack of love, or you will have it because you will be left alone. And that will rot your soul.
If you choose to forgive, whether you believe it or not, God, the universe, or whatever you want to call it, will give it back to you multiplied.
I left 75% of my capital to a relative a year ago. Not only did he not return it to me, but he laughed at me: he wanted to hurt me.
The relative wanted to hurt me because he did not feel valued by the rest of the family and envied me.
I became neurotic. Until, in a moment of catharsis, I forgave him the debt.
And coincidences or not (I do not believe in them), life has given me back 20 times that lost money.
3. Nothing belongs to us
There is something on which most spiritual traditions, not only Christian, agree: attachment generates pain.
This passage of the bible wants to avoid us suffering. Because, in truth, nothing is ours.
You cannot take your houses, money, or loved ones if you die today. You can’t even take your body with you. Everything, sooner or later, will turn to dust.
Therefore, nothing material in this world can compensate you for losing your soul because it is the only thing that will stay with you.
It is increasingly clear to me that this life is a spiritual video game full of traps, and the goal is to learn to detach ourselves from the ego and the material to transcend.
And for that to happen, we must eventually face unpleasant situations, confrontations, and economic and personal losses.
How much is your peace worth?
Indeed much more than the money you lost or the cheek you had to turn, correct?
So be proud of yourself because turning the other cheek is always the spiritually right choice and the smartest one.
A virtual hug
AG