Lord, why is this happening? I couldn’t believe it. I’d crossed the Atlantic Ocean only to be stuck in a car with someone extolling the brilliance and virtues of my worst enemy an ocean away. My companion’s words obliterated the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding Alps.
By: simonsimages
Unsafe and mean people live, work, and worship with us. We think if only we can get away from them and all the reminders of them then we’d have peace. My experience in Switzerland reminded me peace doesn’t come from how far away we run from our enemies but from how close we cling to God.
David, who knew something about being maligned and hunted down, offers some liberating counsel on dealing with mean people who wrong us. On different occasions, his king and even his beloved son Absalom tried to kill him. Here are some highlights from David’s hard-earned wisdom.
Do not fret. Do not fret. Do not fret.
Obviously, the Lord knows our tendency to fret. Look at these verses.
1“Do not fret because of evildoers…
2For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb…
7Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing” (Psalm 37:1, 2, 7-8, NASB, emphasis added).
Watching the news can stir me up. I fuss when I can’t find what I want because someone I love forgot to put it back. How much more tempting it is to fume when mean people intentionally wrong us.
Our Father understands. But He knows fretting is the root of our emotional anguish. Brooding turns us into wrongdoers. Like those who harmed us, we misuse innocent people.
Take the long view. Even though this person’s influence seems like it will never end, they’ll “fade like the green herb.” Don’t trip on a blade of withering grass!
Do good and delight yourself in the Lord.
“5Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday” (Psalm 37:5-6, NASB).
Resting is active not passive. Did you notice the many positive alternatives God offers to fretting?
Clinging to Him empowers us to release our fuming and overcome evil with good. I need not worry that He’ll be taken in by my enemy’s lies. He will exonerate those who commit their way to Him. With noonday clarity, He will show who is right with Christ and who is the wrong. Who cares what others believe when the ultimate judge knows the truth?
While fretting turns us into evil doers, delighting in the Lord shapes our hearts to be like His. This supernatural change in our desires heartens us. My Father, not mean people, determines my destiny.
My trip to Switzerland reminded me closeness with God protects us more than distance from our enemies. Those who trust in Him are never left victims. In the end, they are the victors!
Are you delighting in Him or stewing over them? Our Father, not perfect circumstances, offers us genuine peace.
Click here to comment.
Blessings,
Debbie W. Wilson
Linking to Titus 2sday, #w2wwordfilledwednesday, #wordswithwinter, #livefreeThursday, #Reflectlinkup, #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #Titus2Tuesday, #IntentialTuesday, #Wedded Wednesday, #Women with Intention,
As we listen to the news and observe our world, it is easy to fret. Thanks for directing me back to peace and rest.
Thank you, Sandi! We will remind each other to set our focus on things above.
Debbie,
I’m sharing with Earle in gleaning your wisdom. Psalm 37 is one of my favorite Psalms.
Great application of the Word to everyday life.
Love,
Earle & Sara
Thank you, Sara. So wonderful to hear for you! God bless.
Well this was a perfect reminder today and you said it all better than I ever could’ve! A friend just had an experience yesterday where someone wronged her and she was so angry and frustrated. I will be sharing this – it’s perfect!
Ann, I hope it will help. It’s hard when you are first hit. But continuing to stew only makes us hurt more.
Thanks for the encouragement, Debbie. In the midst of hostility in the everyday lives of people all over the world, we need to be refreshed by hearing messages like this, knowing that all is well.
Btw, Switzerland? That’s definitely on my radar. Oh that must have been quite amazing.
Thank you, Robert. Yes, with all the disturbing news, it is good to be reminded Who writes the end of the story. And yes, Switzerland is amazing! Beauty, history, charm, and chocolate!
So many times we stress over human relationships… and such relationships are a necessary part of life. What a blessing that God gives grace and strength to deal with what we need to. What a blessing He promises to be there. Thank you for your post.
Thank you for reading, Gentle Joy.
Thank you! A great and timely reminder.
Thank you, Stephanie!
Thank you Debbie. This is such a perfect, timely read. Thank you 🙂
Debbie,
I absolutely love how you pointed out that resting is active, and not passive. And shared some of the alternatives that God gives us, when we are prone to fretting. This was an aha moment for me. Resting, as an active activity. I will be praying into what this will look like for me.
Blessings,
Kamea
incrementalhealing.wordpress.com
Hey Debbie! Great post. Thanks for sharing it with us. I love how you broke down what fretting really is and how we can tackle it with God’s strength and REST. May God continue to bless you on your journey to seek Him and encourage others. (#FindStability with Stacey Thureen)
Thank you, Lisa. Yes, with His strength we can rest!
Wow a visual reminder! Kind of like the old saying that you can’t run away from your problems, they’ll always be there to meet you. It is true. You can’t go to other churches or jobs to escape the bad ugly people. They will be there too.
That’s right Debbie. God wants to strengthen us. Thanks for visiting.
He Debbie! I am glad I stopped by to visit you today from Intentional Tuesdays. I really enjoyed your post. Good reminders that God is the One we actively rest in. It really struck me when you said, ” Do not trip on a blade of withering grass.” That was good! Will remember that. Thanks again! Have a blessed day:)
Thanks, Lisa. We need God’s perspective, especially when we’re hurting.
Fantastic word today, Debbie. Whether it’s mean people or people who just don’t seem to care, when we are nice to them, it’s good to know that there’s a much better solution than fretting! Really great blog piece. I’m glad to have seen it! From your neighbor on #IntentionalTuesday and #RaRaLinkup.
Thank you, Linda. Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment.
Thank you for this wonderful encouragement, Debbie. I’m glad you’re my neighbor at #raralinkup. I never realized it before that “Do not fret” is mentioned three times. And I love how you describe “rest” as active and not passive. I know I need to rest more in Jesus. This really comforted me considering some past abuse and slander – “Who cares what others believe when the ultimate judge knows the truth?” Yes! Let’s keep our focus on Him who knows and cares!
Amen, Trudy. He is the Prince of Peace. Thanks so much for visiting.
Wow…this is so true Debbie! Thank you for this wonderful reminder of where our focus needs to be when dealing with difficult(mean) people. I absolutely love the verses in Psalm 37! I remember sharing them with my baby brother when He was dealing with a difficult person. We have to remember that God is right there with us during those difficult times but have to choose to look on Him. Remembering that He is in control of everything! Thank you again for this post. You a definitely are “Cheerleader of Faith.” May God bless you and yours. Have a great week!
Amen, Horace! And thank you for your encouragement.