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Perhaps I shouldn’t have clicked on that button. Perhaps I should have just left it alone. After all, I knew the risks.

Why take the chance?

But my curiosity got the best of me. I tapped on the link labeled “Comments” and scanned the reactions below.

It wasn’t pretty.

Sure, there were commenters who liked my writing and were encouraged by my ideas, but those aren’t the words I remember. Oh no, I only remember the criticisms. The insults. The name-calling. It’s hard to forget words like “stupid,” “silly,” or “ridiculous.”

I sat there staring at the screen with my jaw clenched as I contemplated how to respond.

What should I say?

Should I respond at all?

At some time or another, most Christians are faced with the same dilemma — how to respond to an insult. Whether it’s a parent, a spouse, a child, or a total stranger, we’ve all been talked down to or felt small. Like the customer service rep who is so unexpectedly rude. Or the neighbor who always has a complaint with you. Or the time my college professor publicly humiliated me when he learned I was a Christian.

As a believer, I am prepared for people like the college professor. Jesus warned believers to expect insults on account of Him, so when someone calls me a fool for believing the gospel, I say bring it on!

The thing is, I’m not so sure those public confrontations are the real test of my faith.

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This is preview of my very first post over at (in)courage! To read the rest, click here.

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