Surprise Attack!
Someone, a fellow Christian leader, wrote to me that he had a surprise that he was not expecting. It was an attack! Not a physical attack, instead it came from close friends. Stunned, my friend could not believe his ears as he listened to the stinging words of rebuke and rejection. In fact, it happened in front of other people. My friend is a Christian leader and the attack came from fellow Christians. The corporate world or the work place is not the only place where such attacks occur.
What do you do when you suffer such pain?
God blesses waiting. Just wait. "What? Are you crazy?" you might say. Seriously, just wait to see what happens. It is a test for you and if you just wait quietly you will pass the first part of the test. [I think my friend was not expecting this kind of advice from me]. It hurts . . . sure it does, this is a natural feeling. When an attack comes from someone who is close to you, it hurts. But, this is a bigger test. Really big! It means that God loves you very much. I am serious. It hurts our pride. It can make us want to take revenge. It just hurts your pride and it is a surprise for you. You weren't expecting this . . . from friends . . . from people that you have loved and helped. Why is this happening? Back to the part about waiting. If you wait and pray for the ones who have hurt you, then you give the problem to God. It is too big for you and you do not understand and you are hurting. Give it to God. Literally, use your hands while praying . . . close your hands tight like you are trying to keep the problem . . . then open your hands like you are giving the problem to God and actually say this in your prayer. Keep your hands open and don't say anything for a while. Then, you may have the beginning of a new peace in your hearts. After a minute or so in prayer say something like, "There, now you have this problem, God. It's yours. Help these dear brothers and sisters because I love them and I know that You love them." If you feel tears coming, let them come. This is a release and somehow it is a way to worship. You asked God's help and gave Him the problem. He is going to do something about it in His perfect time. He will deal with the people who have mistreated you. You don't have to worry about it anymore because God is taking care of things.
Next step, keep waiting in silence . . . don't say anything bad about these people to anyone. Say good things. Pray for them in love every day, more than one time each day. If the painful experience comes to your mind, pray for them. "Oh, dear God, help these dear people, my friends. I love them." Maybe think about a way to show kindness to them . . . take them some tasty dessert or chocolates and a simple flower for the wife, not something expensive, instead something that is simple. Spend too much money and people become suspicious and you lose the effect of the gift. When you give it to them say this, "I was just thinking about you and wanted to give you something and we want you to know that we love you in the Lord." That's enough! Smile warmly and slowly walk away. Before you leave the area where they are standing glance back at them and give a warm smile and a wave of the hand. Let me tell you, this will be like heaping coals of fire upon their heads. It is a positive action, a kind action which helps them as well as you! Makes you feel better! Makes them think! They will not be expecting this from you and it will surprise them. Most people expect revenge, angry words, pouting, cutting off all lines of communication . . . all are negative reactions and will not accomplish what you really want to have happen.
God is at work. Next? Keep waiting, yes, this is hard, but it is of God. Keep smiling, turn your negative thoughts into positive ones, keep showing love, and keep praying because the painful memories keep coming back to your minds again and again . . . but, if you take the right steps it will become less painful. Then, change may take place. Isn't that what you want? You love these people and you want them to love God and be obedient. So, you have to show it with your response to them and show it to God by waiting on Him to work. I wonder what the Lord did when he looked at the Roman soldier put a nail to His hand and began to pound the nail through the Lord's hand into the cross. Physically, it was painful because He was a man; spiritually He probably had compassion upon the soldier. Somehow I think the Lord looked directly at the soldier while the soldier did his work. What did the Lord do when He looked down from the cross and saw the mob of people screaming at Him? I think you know where I am going by writing these things. Jesus had the bigger picture in view . . . not the present difficulty . . . He willingly suffered death to give life. You know what? This is a hard test, but it is a good one. Go through it and do well and you will learn SO much from the Lord. I am so impressed that God has given you this test right now at a young age. God must love you so much and He must have so many wonderful things planned for you in the future!
So, that was my advice. What do you think? Basically, it is returning good for evil, not evil for evil. I know what I am talking about. Some years ago I suffered a stunning attack from someone very close. I chose to keep quiet . . . kept my mouth shut! Boy, that was hard!
I will write a different blog entry on that one because it has to do more with conquering pride and not jumping into an argument to defend myself. Let me tell you, that is graduate level Christianity.
Eric
What do you do when you suffer such pain?
God blesses waiting. Just wait. "What? Are you crazy?" you might say. Seriously, just wait to see what happens. It is a test for you and if you just wait quietly you will pass the first part of the test. [I think my friend was not expecting this kind of advice from me]. It hurts . . . sure it does, this is a natural feeling. When an attack comes from someone who is close to you, it hurts. But, this is a bigger test. Really big! It means that God loves you very much. I am serious. It hurts our pride. It can make us want to take revenge. It just hurts your pride and it is a surprise for you. You weren't expecting this . . . from friends . . . from people that you have loved and helped. Why is this happening? Back to the part about waiting. If you wait and pray for the ones who have hurt you, then you give the problem to God. It is too big for you and you do not understand and you are hurting. Give it to God. Literally, use your hands while praying . . . close your hands tight like you are trying to keep the problem . . . then open your hands like you are giving the problem to God and actually say this in your prayer. Keep your hands open and don't say anything for a while. Then, you may have the beginning of a new peace in your hearts. After a minute or so in prayer say something like, "There, now you have this problem, God. It's yours. Help these dear brothers and sisters because I love them and I know that You love them." If you feel tears coming, let them come. This is a release and somehow it is a way to worship. You asked God's help and gave Him the problem. He is going to do something about it in His perfect time. He will deal with the people who have mistreated you. You don't have to worry about it anymore because God is taking care of things.
Next step, keep waiting in silence . . . don't say anything bad about these people to anyone. Say good things. Pray for them in love every day, more than one time each day. If the painful experience comes to your mind, pray for them. "Oh, dear God, help these dear people, my friends. I love them." Maybe think about a way to show kindness to them . . . take them some tasty dessert or chocolates and a simple flower for the wife, not something expensive, instead something that is simple. Spend too much money and people become suspicious and you lose the effect of the gift. When you give it to them say this, "I was just thinking about you and wanted to give you something and we want you to know that we love you in the Lord." That's enough! Smile warmly and slowly walk away. Before you leave the area where they are standing glance back at them and give a warm smile and a wave of the hand. Let me tell you, this will be like heaping coals of fire upon their heads. It is a positive action, a kind action which helps them as well as you! Makes you feel better! Makes them think! They will not be expecting this from you and it will surprise them. Most people expect revenge, angry words, pouting, cutting off all lines of communication . . . all are negative reactions and will not accomplish what you really want to have happen.
God is at work. Next? Keep waiting, yes, this is hard, but it is of God. Keep smiling, turn your negative thoughts into positive ones, keep showing love, and keep praying because the painful memories keep coming back to your minds again and again . . . but, if you take the right steps it will become less painful. Then, change may take place. Isn't that what you want? You love these people and you want them to love God and be obedient. So, you have to show it with your response to them and show it to God by waiting on Him to work. I wonder what the Lord did when he looked at the Roman soldier put a nail to His hand and began to pound the nail through the Lord's hand into the cross. Physically, it was painful because He was a man; spiritually He probably had compassion upon the soldier. Somehow I think the Lord looked directly at the soldier while the soldier did his work. What did the Lord do when He looked down from the cross and saw the mob of people screaming at Him? I think you know where I am going by writing these things. Jesus had the bigger picture in view . . . not the present difficulty . . . He willingly suffered death to give life. You know what? This is a hard test, but it is a good one. Go through it and do well and you will learn SO much from the Lord. I am so impressed that God has given you this test right now at a young age. God must love you so much and He must have so many wonderful things planned for you in the future!
So, that was my advice. What do you think? Basically, it is returning good for evil, not evil for evil. I know what I am talking about. Some years ago I suffered a stunning attack from someone very close. I chose to keep quiet . . . kept my mouth shut! Boy, that was hard!
I will write a different blog entry on that one because it has to do more with conquering pride and not jumping into an argument to defend myself. Let me tell you, that is graduate level Christianity.
Eric
posted by Eric Murphy at 16.1.08
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