Have You Been Treated Badly?

Thu, 13 Jun 2019

‘That’s the way their ancestors treated the prophets.’ Luke 6:23 GWT

When you’ve been treated badly, always ask yourself, ‘What can I learn from this experience? How do I respond in a more Christ-like manner? Am I willing to acknowledge my mistakes? How can I grow wiser and handle similar experiences better in the future?’ When all is said and done, the answer to misunderstanding is forgiveness. Now, forgiveness doesn’t mean you necessarily agree with or want a close relationship with the person who mistreated you. But it does mean that when you bury the hatchet, you don’t leave the handle sticking up! In other words, don’t just forgive—choose to bless!

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘To be great is to be misunderstood.’ And here’s an even better statement: ‘To be greater is to forgive the one who has treated you badly.’ Paul refers to the Christian life as ‘the high calling of God.’ (Philippians 3:14 KJV) So take the high road! What does that road look like?

Jesus tells us: ‘How happy you are when men hate you and turn you out of their company; when they slander you and detest all that you stand for because you are loyal to the Son of Man. Be glad when that happens and jump for joy—your reward in Heaven is magnificent. For that is exactly how their fathers treated the prophets.’ (Luke 6:23 PHPS) By living this way, you also take back your power by refusing to let another person dictate your mood and your outlook, and you keep your joy.