Ever been accused of something you are not? Or deserving of
punishment that doesn’t fit the non-existent crime? When your integrity and
character come into question? Feel the heat toward the void of faceless
accusers? You can become angry, defensive, and urged to become like-minded and
mean-spirited.
Or you can turn all those emotions and thoughts to the only One who can calm your spirit
and make a clear path of options on how you respond.
Classy response: just move on-you can’t argue your way to vindication-actions speak
louder than words
Confirm: The absolutely worst thing you can do–is to respond in kind, to give as good as you received. That would be childish and immature, and all it would do is confirm in the minds of the onlookers that the putdown was correct.
Convert: don’t focus on the offense or offender, but there is always an audience to focus on
instead. Eye for an Eye does nothing
Course: The right thing is not to defend and not to attack. Just stay the course. Be yourself, show some class, and you will impress the right-thinking people in your audience who will see through all the unjustified drama.
The Lord Jesus was on trial. People were hurling lies at him. “… many false witnesses
came forward… At last, two witnesses came forward and said, ‘This fellow said
‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’’ The
high priest turned to the Lord and said, ‘Do you answer nothing? What is it
these men testify against you?’ But Jesus kept silent” ( Matthew 26:59-63).
Jesus kept silent. And when on the cross people were accusing and taunting Him, jeering at
Him and spitting upon Him, the Lord prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” ( Luke
23:34).
Divine Mentor:
Book of Job
Job is confronted
by 3 accusers daily pushing at him to accept that God was angry with him, and
it was something he did against God so he must be deserving of punishment. But
when you read through Job’s story, he held steady in two areas:
Integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong
moral principles; moral uprightness.
Character: the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
The Book of Job is an excellent guide on how you consider physical pain, social
bereavement, the origin of evil, theodicy, justice, divine violence, and reward.
The life of Job, a man whose story is told in the book of the Bible by that name, contains
many lessons for us today. In it, we see the value of patience, perseverance,
and the importance of holding our tongue, not to mention God's faithfulness,
restorative power, and goodness.
The scripture
that spoke to me is when Job refers to “the breath of all mankind.” The poetic
verses in Job are worth reading through:
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the sky, and they will tell you;
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
Or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is in the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-10).
Prayers for those who doubt yourself because of the negative words being spoken in your ears.
Do not allow the light of your spirit dim no matter the circumstances in life.
May healing enter your heart, mind and soul so that you feel whole. Hold tight to your joy in the darkness.
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your
protection over them, so that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as
with a shield” (Psalm 5: 11-12)
dreamsdontfade.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM0ovt_nbd4
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