Quit stepping on my Toes

Recently Chad and I have started attending ballroom dance lessons. The reason is simply that my mom made the following very clear, “I will not be paying for a wedding where everyone comes and watches you sway.” – so, hello ballroom dance lessons.

Needless to say, Chad despises dancing so for him to be sent to learn how to do the “two-step” was like asking for him to have teeth pulled – painful. BUT, the man loves me (and values his life) so we had our first lesson.

It was a disaster. It felt rigid, awkward and nothing like I had fantasized it would be like in my head. The part that got me was the fact that the giant big-foot otherwise known as my fiancé, kept stepping on my toes! I got so frustrated and instead of having grace and accepting the fact that this was our first time – I got more and more angry and eventually told Chad to “go sit in the car” – sadly, this is real life people. But God, with the major sense of humor He has – used this as an opportunity to teach me a valuable lesson and gave me an opportunity to change my perspective.

The fact of the matter is – Chad was not stepping on my toes on purpose. He wasn’t trying to hurt me, upset me or even stop me from dancing. Yet my reaction gave the idea that he was “out to get me.” Isn’t this so true in life? We often tend to be so touchy that the smallest action of an individual towards us, whether intentional or not, can set us off onto a war-path. We can be so sensitive that people feel like they need to tiptoe around us. This isn’t right nor is it what God requires of us.

James 3:16 – “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” (NKJV)

Self-seeking can also be translated from its Greek word to mean: rivalry or a feud. Also very commonly known as strife, which is arguing, quarrelling or fighting.When we let these things take up root in our hearts – they become who we are and our first reaction to a situation. But the Bible also says in this passage of Scripture – that the above are not from heavenly wisdom, but from earthy, sensual and devilish wisdom.

People are people, they are going to frustrate us, disappoint us and even make us mad – but how we respond to them determines who we are and what is on the inside of us. Strife happens when we respond to a situation negatively. We have to make the decision to not be a contributor of strife – and instead, work on being patient as love is, and forgive. People are going to step on our toes – its inevitable, but I am sure that there are many times we have unintentionally stepped on someone else’s toes – may we have the grace to forgive them just as they forgave us.

“A person who cannot forgive is a person who has forgotten what He has been forgiven of.” – John Bevere