Navigating Relationships
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ~2 Timothy 3:12
I hate it when people judge my motives or don’t understand a situation which I am not at liberty to explain in full. It’s hard when others have an idea of how they think a Christian should respond to such a case and, in their view, I am not doing the “Christian” thing. I am honest about the areas that I know I struggle in, but I fight hard to honor God in the way that I interact with other people. It’s just that everything is not so cut and dry. Following are some things that I have wrestled with through the years that not everyone will agree with, but I hope they encourage someone who feels as though they have failed someone. You may have … but not necessarily.
1) A relationship requires two people to make it work, but it only takes one person to tear it down.
2) Truth is not always in the middle. Sometimes one person is straight out lying.
3) Despite popular opinion, forgiveness does not always mean reinstating a relationship. It is important to forgive. Definitely. But sometimes you have to release a person into God’s hands and realize that you cannot help him or her. You cannot be everyone’s savior, so it’s important to know who God has placed in your life and who He hasn’t.
4) Sometimes bad things really do happen to good people. OK. We all know that no one is really good, but you understand what I mean. God can and does discipline His children, but you cannot judge your relationship with God based on your circumstances. Evaluate it, sure, but if you are at peace in your walk, know that sometimes God allows things to happen that you will never understand this side of Heaven. This does not make Him less good than He has ever been. If anything, it is a time to draw closer to Him than ever before and allow Him to comfort you and help you to grow evermore in trusting Him.
Back to my opening statement: You can’t expect everyone to understand every decision that you make in life. Rumors may fly as people judge you more harshly than they should. It’s hard not to be hurt during those times. These are the seasons you find out who your friends really are, and it may be painful to realize you don’t have as many as you thought you did. Keep going to the Word. Pray for God’s guidance. If you are convinced that you are doing what God is asking of you, don’t look back. Keep clinging to His hand and let Him fight your battles. It’s human to want to fight back or justify yourself, but sometimes it’s best to not answer a fool according to his folly (Proverbs 26:4).
I wish you well as you learn from the Father the best way to navigate your sticky relationships.
This could not have come at a better time. Some things only the Father can bring healing for. We learn to trust Him with each step and while not easy, it makes the path to eternity more bearable. Thank you!