Trouble in my way
Have to cry sometimes,
Trouble in my way,
Have to cry sometimes,
Lay awake at night,
But that’s alright,
I know Jesus will fix it.
Luther Barnes (1990)
As a Christian, do you struggle with defending yourself? Are you sick and tired of always being the nice person? How do you resolve conflicts and contradictions? Do you ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” Or, do you go “off” and then pray for forgiveness? Since the 2016 Democratic National Convention, we have often quoted the catchphrase by former First Lady Michelle Obama when dealing with bullies, “When they go low, we go high.”
I have struggled for years with doing the right thing, maintaining peace, and deciding when it is necessary to fight. In life, because we are natural beings, it is difficult to balance conflicts and contradictions as a Christian. On one hand we are told in Galatians 2:11, But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. Romans 12:17-21 states, Repay no one evil for evil, but give though to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceful with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Lastly, we are told in Matthew 5:38, You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. We can sometimes find it confusing if we don’t review a text from the Bible in its total context.
As Christians, it’s ok to fight, but our fight is not like those in the world. We never compromise who we are and what we believe. We can stand on the promise found in Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
So, when others go low, we can go low literally by binding our knees to pray and seek God for direction on how to handle the situation. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the discernment on how to handle that situation. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to be passive or allow others to walk over you, but it should give you the power, perspective, patience, perseverance, and a propensity for peace to stand against anything that life should bring your way.
Now, I hope you can rest well knowing that you have the power to balance life’s conflicts and contradictions!
Find the Remarkable even in difficult situations!
Dr. ReShone
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