We don’t do the right things because of how that will affect others. We do the right things because of how they shape us.

What I mean is, loving your enemy won’t always make your enemy love you back. Turning the other cheek just might get you slapped a second time. Giving to those in need means that you will sometimes be taken advantage of. A soft answer doesn’t always turn away wrath; at times it just gets you shouted down.

I hear Christians who are afraid to do good things because others might take advantage of them. Let’s get this out of the way up front: you will be taken advantage of. If you trust others, you will get burned now and again. If you reach out a hand, you’ll get bitten sometimes.

But if you don’t reach out, if you don’t love, if you don’t forgive, if you don’t trust, you’ll never become like Jesus.

And that loss is much greater than what any person can do to you.