UNJUST TREATMENT And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? Luke 18:7 What happens when we are treated unjustly? A written agreement is not honored. Our hard work goes unrecognized or even worse, someone else gets the credit. We are passed over for a promotion, because we did not play politics. A friend will not meet to work out our differences. We feel ignored, mistreated and misunderstood. Our reputation may be bruised, even battered. Unjust treatment can feel like torture. It tests our resolve to persevere in our trust in the Lord. What happens in our hearts when we are treated unfairly? They can harden under the pressure of pride, or soften under the influence of humility. An offended heart can lash back in anger, or it can respond in repentance and seek to restore the relationship. Deep disappointment from someone we really respect can challenge our confidence in their character and tempt us to dismiss them. Thus, its critical that we forgive fast and ask Christ to lead our conversations. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Furthermore, we are wise to invite the peace of God to protect our heart and mind. His peace is a buffer between fleshly feelings and Spirit-led emotions. His peace gives us the courage to be a peacemaker, instead of defending our desire to be right. In persistent prayer, God’s peace renews our minds with His thoughts of faith, hope and love. He keeps the devil’s lies away from our thought process, so we can prayerfully process God’s will. Christ’s peace stabilizes our soul. Therefore, our unjust treatment is an opportunity for us to ask our heavenly Father to purify our motives and accelerate our forgiveness. Love does not stew in self pity, rather by God’s grace, it wipes clean any dark offense on the white board of our heart. We seek to be reconciled--not to be declared right. We value the relationship far beyond any monetary loss or gain. We die to ourselves, so Christ can come alive in our lives. Unjust treatment will be justified in God’s timing. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart” (Matthew 18:33). Prayer: Heavenly Father, I trust You to make injustices right, and use me in the meantime to model grace, love and forgiveness. Related Readings: Job 34:31; Psalm 88:1; 1 Kings 8:39; 2 Corinthians 2:5, 2:9; Revelation 6:10
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:06:39 +0000