Are You The Queen of Petty?

The Bible states: Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

I often hear our culture celebrate acts of “pettiness”. I mean it’s super funny when we are just watching a comedy skit… But, do you think it’s healthy to apply such behavior in relationships?

In my early 20s’, I made a vow never to be passive-aggressive purposely after realizing the errors of my thought process. In one instance, I was purposefully inconsiderate of a friend because I felt they weren’t considerate of me.

In another instance… My boyfriend, at the time, made me upset and I wanted revenge.

I considered using my body as a tool for payback and to fuel his anger.

After thinking through all the steps and trying to initiate some of them… I chickened out.

I realized that I would feel GROSS after. Also, that I wasn’t punishing him but I would be punishing my OWN body. I also realized that no petty act is capable of giving us the emotional satisfaction we need in any situation.

Petty is not going to make something that is wrong, right!

Our feelings deserve more attention than a reaction from a petty act. You and I are so special that we deserve to have our emotions fully acknowledged by other people. You deserve change or an apology Sis. Passive-aggressive and petty behavior prolong the hurt in a relationship and stumps growth. Ultimately, petty behavior leads to a zero-sum game where there is a battle to see who can hurt the other person the most.

The Bible states: Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

If you are a petty queen, maybe you should consider the following steps to creating healthier relationships in your life?!
1. Acknowledge that you have passive-aggressive tendencies and stop playing emotional games.
2. Kindly communicate your emotions to the person that offended you.
3. Engage in conversations with others about how to fix the problem.
4. While communicating be kind, considerate, and compromising!
5. Keep people in your life that are willing to acknowledge how they hurt you and make steps to change.
6. Create boundaries and distance yourself from people that refuse to stop causing you pain or apologize.
7. Be sure to be a person that apologizes and acknowledges when you hurt other people. Be who you want others to be.
8. Continue to grow into a better person.