Persecution
It's been awhile since I posted. Life can do that. The twists and turns of chaos can impact even the steadiest of warriors. I don't know about any of you but I have come to understand that “attacks" rarely arrive as a single event. Most are multifaceted and tend to be designed to inflict the most amount of suffering and unrest as possible.
Recently, we fought a battle that could have crushed us. The true test of the battle is not making it out alive but in how we respond to being treated unjustly. How do you respond when someone mistreats you? What do you do when faced with such utter wickedness that you simply can't comprehend what is happening? And how do you handle a fool's heart gripped in the hand of greed and self righteousness?
I was put to the test whilst already in the midst of extremely trying circumstances. In my groanings and attempts to pray, I cried out to the Lord and He spoke very clearly. It doesn't matter what your financial or spiritual or physical state is, Scripture speaks very clearly in times of great distress and difficulty.
Romans 12:14-22
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;If he is thirsty, give him a drink;For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Luke 6:27-36
27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Driving to an appointment in the midst of my testing, the Holy Spirit gave me these verses. The moment I heard them, I knew what I had to do. I'm not going to go into detail about the nature of the test, nor will I expose the person responsible for causing so much pain, but what I will say is that at the moment I heard the voice of the Lord, I had a choice. I could obey or I could ignore, stamping my foot in anger and refusing to acquiesce to what was being demanded of me or trust that God knows exactly what I'm dealing with and is perfectly able to come to my aid. In the natural, my flesh wanted to resist and fight this horrible manipulation, but my spirit saw far beyond the current situation and allowed me to step back and let the Lord handle it. Even though I have been wronged, it doesn't matter.
You see, far too often we hold on to disputes because we know we are right and we want justice and resolution. We defend our rights, sometimes at great cost, and pick and choose scriptures that align with our own reasoning. We then, become the foolish ones. Proverbs speaks a great deal about foolishness and wisdom. I know which one I would rather be identified with. God is able to fight my battles and secure the best possible outcome. My job is to always, always seek Him and not try to battle on my own. I won’t deny that it’s hard to bless and not curse someone who is hurtful and wrong. God had to give me grace to see past the “now.” There’s always a bigger picture and God in His infinite wisdom and love chooses to keep us hidden from all the outcomes. Why? Because He loves us.