People can be cruel and it doesn’t bother them a bit to cause you grief. Some make it their mission in life to make you miserable. They do it because they lack love, which is a reflection of their attitude toward God. And as painful as it is for you, their problem is even more serious. Don’t allow their failure to cause your fall. It isn’t wise, healthy, or necessary for you to give up your happiness. You aren’t helping anyone by caving in to their desire. The best way for you to have the best chance to see them change is to be the person God wants you to be. That’s not always easy but for a Christian it is truly possible. God can enable you to overcome the difficulties of life and demonstrate what great things He can do. That’s a goal worthy of your full attention. If you haven’t been doing that, that’s something you can change! And that can make a difference. As someone said, ” I can change no other person by my direct actions, but I can change myself and when I change others tend to change in reaction to me”.– HDS

Now I know there is a morbid introspection that isn’t healthy, but that doesn’t mean we should never examine ourselves. The mirror of God’s Word is absolutely essential to our spiritual well-being. Our spiritual growth depends on it (2 Cor. 3:18; Jam. 1:22-25). But, if we look into God’s Word without taking action we deceive ourselves (Ja. 1:22). However, if we obey what we observe it will transform us into the likeness of Christ. Sp, rather than spending time looking at others, we ought to be looking at ourselves, with the intent of correcting what’s wrong. Look at you–what do you see? —HDS

But let’s stick with the example of Jesus, and stay with our text—“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. “. Think of that in the light of 2 Cor. 8:9”For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Have you ever thought about what all is implied by the phrase He became poor”? While many desire to be like Jesus when it comes to His supernatural power, sinlessness, wisdom, and ability, etc. not many would want to be like Him in his poverty. Put yourself in His sandals. Imagine eating what He ate, traveling in the same manner as He, being subjected to hostility, misunderstood, falsely accused, beaten, and crucified. I don’t have the words to describe the depths to which Christ went when He became poor.

Now notice the transition–“He was”–“He became”. What he was He had always been. What He became was by His choice. It has been called, “The Great Renunciation” and for good reason (see Phil. 2:5-8). Don’t misunderstand what it meant for Him to become poor. He did not change His purity, His perfection, His power, nor His proprietorship. He owns it all and He can do all things, but for our sake He made the choice to limit Himself and subject Himself to suffering so we might “have life, and ….have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He became poor in the sense of poverty, prestige, physical pain, etc. His greatest suffering was an inward act, an attitude of His heart that was willing to give up whatever was necessary to accomplish the Father’s purpose.  That’s what we are to emulate. So now ask yourself again, “Am I willing to be like Jesus?”—HDS