Mike has suffered more in gossip and mistrust than anyone I know.\u00a0 He has lost his ministry, started another, nearly lost this one.\u00a0 Sure, Mike has his personality quirks and problems like all of us; but he had not fallen into sexual sin, stolen money\u00a0or done grave misgivings.\u00a0 Yet he had lost friends, family, associates, his life savings\u00a0and his reputation over a process of five years.<\/p>\n
I’ve expected any day to hear that he has decided that it’s too hard; and he has gone completely into the secular world to gain back “what the church locust hath eaten.”\u00a0 But I receive his church email twice a week and I marvel.\u00a0 There is no hint of reprisal or resentment.\u00a0 Mike has never lashed back or sought revenge.\u00a0 In fact, he has paid off debts that he did not owe while others have profited in the millions from his hard work.<\/p>\n
If the story sounds familiar or even much like what you have lived through, welcome to the real world of hard spiritual growth.\u00a0 I am convinced that God is not the author of this kind of hardship.\u00a0 Nevertheless, He is the redeemer of vindication.\u00a0 I’ve seen so many others travel down this highway.\u00a0 The circumstances are always different but God’s vindication is the same.<\/p>\n
I, first, saw my mother pick up her bruised reputation and walk sorrowfully down this road.\u00a0 I asked her one day how she could take the hurts\u00a0 and lies thrown at her and not retaliate.\u00a0 “Honey,” she said, sadly, “when you’ve had as much said about you as I have, you’ll learn that reprisal does no good.\u00a0 God takes care of me and my reputation.\u00a0 I don’t have to do it.”<\/p>\n
Much later, I had to pack my scarred bags and do some traveling down that road of Bruisingandhurt Boulevard.\u00a0 It was not easy; but I learned the hard way that God brings vindication.\u00a0 As leaders, there will be times that even those you hold close to your hearts will turn and walk away.\u00a0 There are principles that work in circumstances like this.<\/p>\n
As David left Jerusalem fleeing because of the rebellion of Absolom, there was a relative of Saul who cursed and jeered at him.\u00a0 David would not let his men punish this man in any way.\u00a0 David had been wrong and he was suffering the consequences of his sin.\u00a0 Yet, the jeers of Saul’s relative had not been part of what God had promised as judgement.\u00a0 Even so, David took his unjust slander.<\/p>\n
Vindication will come.\u00a0 However, even more redeeming is the process.\u00a0God will teach us valuable lessons.\u00a0 And\u00a0it seems we can only learn them walking down that hard road of misunderstanding and abuse.\u00a0 Is that road too hard for you at this time?\u00a0 Remember God’s love never fails even when we do and all those around us that we trust\u00a0forsake us. \u00a0What are some of the things you have learned during hard times of misunderstanding?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mike has suffered more in gossip and mistrust than anyone I know.\u00a0 He has lost his ministry, started another, nearly lost this one.\u00a0 Sure, Mike has his personality quirks and problems like all of us; but he had not fallen into sexual sin, stolen money\u00a0or done grave misgivings.\u00a0 Yet he had lost friends, family, associates,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,10,12,4,17],"tags":[690,21,688,696,7,18,691,13,689,6,22],"class_list":["post-28","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-inspirational","category-religion","category-simple-truths","category-teaching","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-discipleship","tag-inspirational","tag-intellectual-disabilities","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-vindication"],"yoast_head":"\n