If you’ve lived any time at all, you’ve been the recipient of  unfair treatment.  People have said things about you that weren’t true, or sometimes were outright lies.  How you respond says more about you than what is said about you or the person who said it.  As I once read… “The same sun that softens wax, hardens clay.”

magnifying-glass  People have different responses.  Some become bitter, others become better.  Some take the lemons and make lemon aid (Sorry for being a little cheesy there).  Truth is, your response to unfair treatment exposes how far along you are as a Christ follower.

  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5.  In other words… quit whimpering… take your troubles to God, after all… you don’t know what He is up to so  TRUST HIM!).

God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28.  In other words… God is in the process of taking what you think is a tragedy and making into something that glorifies Him and is ultimately good for you!  Believe God!).

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:6-7, 10.  The hard time you are in will not last for ever.  When God’s time is right, He will make everything right!).

Another thing our reactions shows is whether we consider ourselves a victim or a student.  Consider…

Victims complain, students learn.

Victims blame others, students look in the mirror.

Victims make excuses, students learn from their mistakes.

Victims are stuck in the past, students keep growing.

Victims accuse God of unfairness, students seek God’s face.

Victims focus on themselves, students share what they have learned.

Students make great leaders because their hard times develop wisdom, humility, compassion and courage.

Take the disappointments of your life then ask your best friend to be honest and tell them whether you have been acting as a victim or student.  Then, take God’s Word and bury it deep into your soul that you may be conformed into the image of Christ.