Have You Been Mistreated?
Have You Been Mistreated?
If you have been mistreated, always ask yourself, "What should I learn from this episode? How do I respond in a more Christian way? Are you willing to acknowledge your mistakes? How I grow wiser and handle similar matters netter in the future?" When it is all said and done, the answer to mistreatment is forgiveness. Now, forgiveness does not mean you agree with or want a close relationship with the one who mistreated you. However, it does mean that you are willing to let it go. When you bury the hatchet, don't leave the handle sticking up! in other words, don't just forgive, choose to forget! Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "To be great is to be misunderstood." And here is even a better statement: "To be greater is to forgive the one who has treated you badly." Paul in the scriptures tells us that the Christian life is one of a high calling of God" (Philippians 3:14). So take the high road! What does this road look like? Jesus tells us: "Count yourself blessed each time someone cuts you down or throws you under the bus, every time someone smears or blackens you name to discredit you. This simply means that the truth is too close for comfort and that person is very uncomfortable...be glad when it happens...all heaven claps. Know that you are in good company; my...witnesses have always been treated like this" ( Luke 6::22-23). By living this way, you also take back your power by refusing to let another person dictate your mood and your outlook, and you will keep your joy.