You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:5

 

We all have a go-to when we’re mistreated and most of us want to strike back!

The Jesus way of living is almost always counter to what we’d do naturally, especially when we’re mistreated. It’s important for followers of Jesus to understand the role of mistreatment in our lives and Jesus’s model for our response. Saint Augustine once said that the same miseries send some to heaven and others to hell. Another writer put it this way, “The test of suffering separates the wheat from the chaff in the Church of God: those who in times of tribulation humble themselves to the will of God are wheat for paradise; those who grow haughty and enraged, and so forsake God, are chaff for hell.”[1]

When Jesus was unfairly betrayed by a close friend, mocked, beaten, and treated like scum, His responses ran counter to human nature. He didn’t rush to defend Himself. He spoke honestly and trusted God, who sees and knows all. He also prayed for the people hurting him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He let God work even the worst together for good.

Do you know what happened? Jesus was raised from the dead and given authority to rule and restore everything because He yielded to His Father. Scripture says we “…must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5).

Brianna felt a sharp sense of betrayal when she heard that her sister-in-law had been spreading rumors about her. But, because of Jesus’s example, Brianna prayed blessings for her sister-in-law, acting in kindness and faith. When we follow Jesus’s model amid mistreatment, God’s power to heal goes to work.

[1] Hood, Allen. “Growing Through Mistreatment.” 5 April 2019, https://s3.amazonaws.com/ihopkc-marketing/resources/092907_Growing_Through_Mistreatment_Allen_Hood.pdf.