Every day, I face moments when someone challenges what I believe is right, and my immediate reaction is to defend myself. As a Christian, I have to ask myself: should I fight for my rights?

The answer is clear if we’re willing to see it: Jesus’ life provides the perfect example. He never fought for His own rights. Instead, Jesus did the opposite—He was unjustly beaten and crucified, yet He never demanded justice or defended Himself. He chose to endure mistreatment for a greater purpose: to show people the love of God. Jesus said He set this example for us to follow, and as His followers, we are called to do even greater things.

Does this mean we should allow others to take advantage of us? Yes, it does. The Bible teaches us to forgive seventy-seven times, to turn the other cheek when struck, to go two miles if forced to go one, and to offer our cloak if someone sues us for our tunic. How far we are willing to carry our cross reveals the depth and maturity of our faith.

Nowhere in the New Testament do we see Jesus or the early Christians being called to fight for their rights. When Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, His message was about the purity of the church, not about asserting personal rights. When Jesus instructed His disciples to carry a sword, it was for protection, not for engaging in combat. We know this because shortly afterward, Jesus rebuked Peter for using his sword to cut off a soldier's ear.

I know it's hard to accept and even practice the idea that we shouldn't fight for our rights. As I write this, I'm dealing with a neighbor who dumps his illegal garbage in our trash cans and takes up our parking spaces. On top of that, he often smokes marijuana, letting the smoke drift into our windows for my two daughters to breathe.

A part of me wants to confront him and point out how wrong his behavior is, but I know that God is calling me to let it go. God wants me to respond with love, patience, and understanding, recognizing that his actions stem from an ungodly state and a worldly mindset. His behavior reflects a lack of Jesus in his life, and because of that, I should remember that I, too, was once lost, blind, and in need of Jesus.

I realize that the urge to confront him and defend my rights comes from my flesh. It's not about standing up for God; it's about protecting my pride. It's my frustration saying, "How dare this guy think he can do whatever he wants without considering others? How dare he not know any better? I follow the rules, so why can't he?"

The Bible instructs us to crucify our flesh daily. If our flesh is truly being put to death, then these reactions shouldn't surface. A dead person feels nothing, so why should our flesh care if it is dead? You can laugh at, take advantage of, or even throw stones at a dead man, and he won't feel a thing.

The real question I have to ask myself is this: Is the garbage more important than my neighbor's soul? Are my rights more valuable than the hope of seeing this man in Heaven one day? Every time I show God’s love to him, there’s a chance he might come to know God. It’s tempting to just throw his garbage back into his cans and feel justified for a moment, but that fleeting satisfaction isn't worth losing God's approving smile.