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Ignore


Matt:15:13-14
Jesus replied, Every plant not planted by my Heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. 

This is probably the key to joy. If you are a person who is affected by an irritating person in work place, or someone who is always there to bug you - ignore. Jesus doesn't tell you to hate them. Love them; but ignore them. Pray for them; but imbibe what is only productive criticism. 

Ignore so much that you are not affected by what they do. Why? Because you realise that if it is not planted by God in your life, then it will be uprooted. And if it is planted by God, intended by God to be there in your life, then it will stay. And all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Rom:8:28

God is Sovereign. He is good. He has plans to prosper you, not to harm you. The teachers of the law were always after Jesus and His disciples to find fault with Him, to the extent that that they wanted to annihilate Him. Jesus could have defended Himself. Jesus could have shouted at them being angry with them, knowing that He is on the right side and they on the wrong. He kept quiet. He ignored. But did He stop loving them? Did He stop reaching out to them? No. 

He could have very well done a miraculous escape from the cross and proven beyond doubt that He is the Son of God. There were many cries and abuses at the base of the cross tempting enough to do that. But He kept quiet. He ignored. 

To Pilate, He kept debating. And then at one point, He keeps quiet. He ignored. To Herod He completely shut Himself. 

Why are you affected by other's comments? Why do you retort back? Why do you fight tooth and nail? That is probably because you are not sure of the identity in Jesus. Therefore you are trying to prove. If you are sure; that no matter what severe the allegations are, I am a child of God. I am His beloved. Then whom should I prove? What should I prove. So I keep quiet. I ignore. 

Image credit:  https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.peoplematters.in/amp-employee-relations-what-should-employees-do-if-managers-ignore-their-complaints-17096

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