Inevitably, all of us will eventually suffer unjust treatment. We will be treated unfairly, be misunderstood, and our motives will be misinterpreted and questioned. We are responsible for ourselves and the condition of our own hearts before God. We can only do so much to try and make things right; then, we need to leave it in the hands of our loving Father, who allows us to experience unjust treatment for his purposes and our sanctification.
Sometimes friendships end because you've hurt each other. These wounds can go deep, yet God calls us to live above reproach. This means we give up our right to get in the last word, justify our bad behavior, or get revenge. We have to allow God to be the one who makes things right for us. Trust that he is still working in both of your lives and will find ways to teach you through this ordeal. It's tough not to want to defend ourselves when we feel wronged, but it's not our job.
When she actually faced her thoughts, she realized how consistently mean, degrading, negative, and unhealthy they were. When I asked her to see if she could find a pattern – she realized she was stuck in a spiral of thoughts with a theme of inadequacy. She was never good enough. Not in her personal life, not in her marriage, not in her friendships, not as a mom, a homemaker, or a businesswoman. Her thoughts always pointed out where she wasn't measuring up, fixating on all that was lacking. Her thoughts were not only hurting her; they were hurting her relationships.
Whether it’s because we’ve highlighted enough sentences in boundary-related books or because we instinctively get it, it makes sense not to weaponize our boundaries against someone else.
What we must recognize is that our loved ones who have descended into conspiracy theories may be experiencing an ongoing sense of threat or uncertainty. Further, we must be willing to meet them in that place with compassion and kindness.
Maybe it’s your pastor or mentor.Maybe it’s someone in your Bible study.Maybe it’s a famous Christian in the news.They’ve sinned. They’ve said they believe one thing and lived like they believed something else. Their life is messier than you could have imagined, and you feel disappointed, angry, confused, disillusioned, sad . . .How are we supposed to feel when other Christians miss God’s mark? How can we cope with the chaos other people’s sin creates? What should we say (if anything?)Here are nine things to keep in mind when another Christian disappoints you.Erin Davis is passionate about pointing young women toward God's Truth. She is the author of several books and a frequent speaker and blogger to women of all ages. Erin lives on a small farm in the midwest with her husband and kids. When she's not writing, you can find her herding goats, chickens, and children.Image courtesy: Pexels.com
God’s Word gives us examples of those who not only disregarded His Ways, but openly tried to turn others against Him. Some were willing to repent and become aligned again with the Lord, but others stubbornly kept to their ways and suffered the consequences.
King David rejoiced at the realization of brothers dwelling together in unity. So too may we because our unity proclaims to the world we are Christ followers and are surrendered and bound to Him for His glory and for our good. And King David said it well that it is a good thing.
With all difficult personalities, to tolerate is to show patience—and yet even with toleration, there are boundaries, and there are caveats. Be cautious you don’t mix the idea of tolerating with allowing for bad and hurtful behavior towards you or others.
Each of us, including our children, intrinsically enjoys a love language that speaks directly to our heart and makes us feel truly cherished and loved. For me personally, it’s the “Acts of Service Love Language."
Part of Jesus’ mission on Earth was to be an example for us of how to live. As He went, He modeled what good friendship looks like. His words and actions were based on Old Testament principles. And if we study and apply the advice in books like Proverbs, we will grow more like Him in this area, too.
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