“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”

Proverbs 19:11

I resonate deeply with this verse, as it serves as a powerful reminder for me that wisdom is exhibited through a calm demeanor, while honor is bestowed upon those who possess a forgiving spirit. A mark of wisdom? A cool spirit. The path to honor? A forgiving spirit. We might think of it in terms of driving.

Taking the Road Less Traveled
How do you keep your relational commute and the conversational traffic between others peaceful and productive? There’s a road that seems highly congested these days and it leads to a lot of accidents and a lot of people getting hurt. The route that’s all the rage today is paved with venting bitter frustrations and nursing personal offenses. As we know, going in this direction quickly leads to many relational mishaps.

Thankfully, there’s a road less traveled that leads to peace and honor. It’s the calm and forgiving way. Certainly, there’s a time to speak up and to stand up for what’s right, but there’s a lot of wisdom in letting some things slide and brushing some things off. So, how do we reroute our responses and start heading in this direction?

Rerouting our Responses
Whatever the wrong or insult may be, the way we can overlook it is by knowing that God oversees it all and will in some way come to our aid. We can overlook it because God oversees it. We can let it go because we can leave it all in God’s hands. This is the life of faith which leads to a life of wisdom.

The Wisdom and Spirit of Jesus
This was the practice of Jesus who “entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Jesus was able to overlook hundreds—maybe even thousands—of insults, jeers, taunts, and rejections because he knew who he was and he knew who ultimately had his back—the Loving Father.

And the good news is that Jesus not only taught us the art of shrugging off insults and haters; he has given every believer his very own Spirit. It is the Spirit of God, as we rely upon his power, who can reopen a new relational path, reroute our responses, and lead us down the way of peace, wisdom, and honor.

By fixing our gaze upon God rather than dwelling on the wrongs committed against us, by trusting him to act on our behalf, and relying upon his good Spirit, we can mirror his character in all our interactions with others today and take the road less traveled. So, here’s to keeping things chill, enjoying a peaceful commute, and reflecting the character of Christ!