Feeling Defensive?

  [302 words] Have you ever caught yourself being defensive? I know I have on more than one occasion. Defensiveness is a product of our desire for justice. We want others to treat us fairly, and when we perceive that isn’t happening, we get defensive. Defensiveness is also a mechanism for self-preservation. We assume that if we defend ourselves, this will cause the accusation to go away. There is no guarantee, however, that the person with whom we are dealing will treat us fairly. Moreover, more often than not, we get defensive when we are guilty, and don’t want to be responsible for our actions. Pride often blinds us to our guilt and hence, our defensiveness.  As Christians, we should not be defensive. Defensiveness is a form of self-justification—a way to justify ourselves so as to appear righteous in the eyes of others. In Luke 16:15, Jesus said to the…