Although I avoid sewing at all costs, I find buttons fun. Whether plastic, glass, wooden, brass, or covered in fabric, each has a little story to tell. Affixed to white cards, hanging on display racks, their bright colors and textures draw my interest. And all mixed up in a bag or jar, with dozens of styles all mingled together, buttons appear as tiny toys or jewels. Regardless of their size or shape, buttons serve a purpose, whether simply decorative or to fasten a garment.
Creative people use buttons to craft jewelry, cards, or Christmas ornaments, and to decorate everything from handbags and hairbands to t-shirts and tennis shoes. You can even join button collector clubs!
But there are other kinds of buttons people unconsciously accumulate and wear secretly. These figurative buttons come in the form of grudges, painful memories, wounded pride, and even offenses taken up on behalf of others. Such emotional buttons get sewn onto people’s souls and they carry them, knowingly or unknowingly, everywhere they go. And heaven help the one who pushes one of these buttons! Occasionally this happens on purpose with ill intent. But more often an unwitting author, songwriter, neighbor, coworker, store clerk, or blogger brushes up against someone’s buttons and all hell breaks loose!
Emotions skyrocket as surely as if someone had pressed a launch button. And before you know it their friends, family, social media acquaintances, and perhaps even news reporters have heard all about it. CITIZEN PUSHES SOMEONE’S BUTTONS! the headlines read. The censors and guardians of political correctness get to work shaming and berating the button pusher.
Many claim the button pushers are at fault here, and that society should get them under control. They parade their right to be offended and dare you to push their buttons.
But does that pattern of thought befit Christians? Shouldn’t we be the least offended people on the planet? Shouldn’t we be like Jesus?
Jesus had plenty of reason to complain about how people treated Him, yet he never took offense. The Bible tells us He was reviled, but He didn’t retaliate. And as new creations we can do the same.
So, what can you do to keep from having your buttons pushed?
Give your buttons to Jesus!
That might sound scary or painful, especially if you’ve been wearing buttons for most of your life. But God’s Word encourages and instructs us with this counsel in Ephesians chapters 4-5: Walk worthy of your calling–with humility, gentleness, and patience. Lay aside the old self and put on the new. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, and malice. And walk as those who are wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil.
Finally, turn your focus to Jesus rather than all of your offenders and allow His great love to calm your fears, subdue your anger, heal your wounds, and fill you with perfect peace. After all, buttons belong on clothing, not on people. We can live life unoffendable if we simply give our buttons to Jesus!
To the tune of of “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, we can sing, “Give your buttons to Jesus!” – Thanks Carrie!
“Jesus had plenty of reason to complain about how people treated Him, yet He never took offense.”
There’s offense to be found in nearly any situation, if we’re looking for it (so, step 1 is to stop looking for it), but even when it’s thrown in our face we don’t have to “take” it. We can leave those buttons right where we found them.