Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This message was previously published and will air again April 19, 2020.
It seems pretty much impossible to go through life without ever being insulted, mistreated, disrespected or snubbed. We are surrounded by imperfect people who do imperfect things — people who are sometimes unkind, occasionally bad-mannered and frequently rude. So what can we do about it?
Someone once compared mean-spirited words andactions to a venomous snakebite. If you are bitten by a snake, you might feelso angry that you want to hunt the snake and kill it. But a wiser course wouldbe to remove the venom from your system as soon as possible. Seeking revengeonly gives the venom more time to do its damage.
In a similar way, we can choose how we react tooffenses or venom from others. In fact, it has been said that “to be offendedis a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us bysomeone or something else.” And our choice can either help or hinder ourhealing.
Of course, there are things we should not just ignore — injustice, bigotry and cruelty, to name a few. We can and must do our part to right such wrongs and stand for civility, truth and righteousness. But in most of our day-to-day interactions, for the more minor infractions of life, the best approach is often to let the snake slither away. The ability to make such a choice is one of the greatest gifts God gives His children.
When we feel overlooked or unfairly treated, we can decide what response reflects the best of who we are. When someone is rude, we can choose not to react with rudeness. When someone is thoughtless, we can choose to be thoughtful. The key is not to give away our day, our mood, our self-respect or our inner peace to others.
That can be a challenge in this sometimes heated world, but when we hold on to the best within us, the venom cannot find its way to our heart. In this way, our choices can make us free.
Tuning in …
The “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, ksl.com, BYU-TV, BYU Radio, Dish and DirectTV, SiriusXM Radio (Ch. 143), the tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoiratTempleSquare and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on many of these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.org/schedules.
