How Should I Respond When I am Unjustly Treated?
When we sense that an injustice has been done to us, it is very easy for us to react. But as believers bearing the name of Christ, we have a reason to choose our behaviour.
Look up 1 Peter 2 in your Bible. What reasons are given in 1 Peter 2:9,12, and 19 about why we should think about our behaviour?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Situations in which we find ourselves in a bind call us to reflect, not only on our course of action, but also on the probable causes that brought this situation about. If you are currently facing a situation where you feel you have been unjustly treated, take this time to reflect. Is there a part in this situation for which you are responsible? Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart (Ps. 139:23-24). What response is required of us when we find ourselves at fault?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
On the other hand, if we are not at fault, what has God called us to do "even if it means suffering?" (vv.20- 21)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What was the example Jesus showed in the face of injustice? What were the three recourses he took according to 1 Peter 2:23?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What does it mean to you to be "mindful of God" (v. 19) and to entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly (v. 23)?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
After thinking through your current situation, plan your next courses of action based on the admonishment we have seen from God's Word in 1 Peter 2 - whether it means to seek to honor God in your actions, to repent of sin - if this is involved in your situation, to choose not to threaten or retaliate, and instead to entrust yourself to God. Write what you commit to do in the space allotted below:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Let's pray: Heavenly Father, thank You that even when we encounter injustice in our lives, it does not change the truth that You are in control. Give us the power through Your Holy Spirit to respond to such situations in ways that honor You. Help us to follow the supreme example of Jesus Christ, who trusted in Your plan and entrusted Himself to You. In His Name we pray. Amen.
My Comments Policy
While my site offers visitors the ability to converse, I have a few ground rules so that our conversations will remain civil and courteous.
1. You must register in order to leave a comment. I don’t entertain pseudo, anonymous or bogus individuals. This site is my home (it has a Home Page, get it). I don’t let strangers who don’t introduce themselves into my home.
2. I love questions. I love them because a lot of times they are similar to someone else’s questions and can even trigger other questions from others. Questions also keep us all sharp. This is also why I respond to them as best as I can and at the soonest possible time. I believe that group answering benefits more people than private email exchanges.
3. We don’t have to agree. Debates are welcome. However, whether it is with me or any other visitors of my site, my rule is this: disagree if you must but keep things civil. That’s just how I run my home, and you are a visitor here. No shouting; I have seen it done in writing. No cursing and no insulting.
4. I reserve the right to delete your comments. Like I said, this is my home. I do not have an obligation to publish your comments. As a human being, you may enjoy the freedom to express your opinions on your own site but not on mine. To be specific, I will delete your comments if you post content that is in my sole opinion: (a) snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum, civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e. an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog entry.
5. You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those posts.
6. You grant me the license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. By posting comments on my site, you automatically grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, video, or presentation.
In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this clear and simple comments policy will facilitate this.
