“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your god. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Have you ever felt, or known, that someone was out to get you? That they were trying to defame your good name, ruin your reputation, conspiring against you, or at the very least, using your flaws (your humanness) to try to make themselves look just a little better than you?Whether the sabotage is taking place on your job, in your home, or at church (yes I said “at church”), it is always hurtful, and it takes a toll on you mentally and emotionally. You begin to wonder what was said about you, who is involved, how this will affect your other relationships, and what people think of you.
So how do you get through it?
If you’ve been saved and walkin’ with Jesus a while, you pray; and watch your back. If you’re a new Christian who’s still honeymooning with Jesus, you think, “Man if I wasn’t saved!” Then you pray and watch your back. If you’re on your way to the Alter but haven’t quite gotten there, you make a plan of how you’re going to curse them out and take them down before they get you. Then you remember that you’re trying this Jesus thing so you probably shouldn’t do that, so you call a church member instead. After it takes them 30 minutes to calm you down, you pray and watch your back. (Yep. You know that’s how it happens.)
I know someone, who is constantly trying to make me look bad and defame my character to make themselves look better. (Isn’t that something?) Although they’ve been doing it for years, it’s still hurtful because I’ve worked so hard to remake myself into a woman of integrity (Oh I was a big fat liar). But I want people to make their own opinion of me based on our interaction, not the opinion of someone else.
So how do I get through it?
First. I let my work, attitude, and actions speak for themselves. I am the same me at church, at work, on a job interview, at home, everywhere. My character, speech, ethics, passions, and standards are the same everywhere I go because I always try to “conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”.
Second. I have a Post-It note with a scripture like this one (Jeremiah 1:8), that reminds me:
(1) don’t be afraid;
(2) God is with me;
(3) God will strengthen me when I’m weak;
(4) He will help me when I need it;
(5) and if stuff gets sticky, and it will, God will rescue me.
Third. I pray and watch my back.
(Contributing Writer: Marlena Patterson)