Living among wrongdoers

Psalm 57

Many teach that the proper response to negative treatment is retaliation. When being attacked, whether you’re a Christian or not, rendering a counter attack is the worst possible thing anyone could do. For one thing, prolonging a negative situation is never a healthy option, so stirring up such a fire could cause flames that could affect innocent bystanders as well. Violence never solves anything, it only creates opportunities for people to get hurt spiritually, physically and mentally.

When a person submits their life to God, they automatically become a target for satan to attack, so it’s common for men to harbor ill wills against them. There will even be times when others will have resentment towards a Christian, when they’ve done nothing to cause it. The world hated Jesus, so expect it to also hate the fact that we operate under God’s agenda, and not the devil’s. For the believer, king David left a perfect example of how to conduct oneself in the presence of those who intentionally seek to disrupt their spiritual and mental focus. God sees and knows all that we face in life, but it’s required that we acknowledge Him in all our ways, so David made it his business to approach God with his issue, as well as praise. God knows we need Him, but He also knows when we try to pimp Him. There were many times I prayed to God to get me out of jams, but only to go back into those same situations after He had delivered me. David knew in his heart that He needed God to stand with him against his enemies, so that he would be free to offer more worship, praise, and good deeds that would bring glory to His name. When you seek God’s help, always check your motives for doing so. David also made certain to promote God’s power in his prayer, more than the ploy of those against him. God doesn’t need to be convinced of His power, but we must first convince ourselves that He is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

God stands at the ready to assist His people in all situations, but we must activate that power with our faith. You can sit in a car all day and pray that it starts, but until you turn the key, or push the start button, you’ll sit there until your buttcheeks get numb. In his prayer of distress, David’s faith was shown in his great admiration for God, and His everlasting mercy. When you pray, do you cry and moan about your issue the entire time, or do you reverence God, then get off your knees feeling motivated to knock the devil out like Rocky did against that tall Russian dude? Talking to God should always motivate us to stand strong against our adversary, because it’s in Him that we live, move, and have our being, so acknowledging our association with the greatest source of power known to all creation, gives us the hope we need that all will soon be well.

Never be afraid of what men try to do to you, because they can only go as far as God allows them to. God allows certain situations to occur in order to see what level our faith is, and whether we need to mature more, or use our faith to motivate someone else. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45a).

Walk in love,

Ell