Just Accept Mistreatment

Scripture: To have such lawsuits at all is a real defeat for you as Christians. Why not just accept mistreatment and leave it at that? It would be far more honoring to the Lord to let yourselves be cheated. 1 Corinthians 6:7

Observation: As Paul continues to correct the church at Corinth, he outlines the issue of the church having public fights. When believers sue each other and thus have non-believers decide their matters, it places the church - and thus the Lord - in a negative public light. His first instruction is that matters of disagreement between believers should simply be decided within the church, presented to elders for mediation. Going one step further, he states that they should really just ... accept mistreatment and leave it at that. Of course, it is best if believers are not cheating and fighting with each other, but short of that the Lord would be much more honored if someone just dropped the issue and walked away.

Application: One of the hardest things for me to do is to accept something that is wrong. I have had to do it over very large matters in my life, and it truly eats at me ... which causes major problems in my life still today. 

Both my wife and I have been accused of outright lies, and because she is a pastor these accusations were levied by "believers". A couple times it has cut her deeply. However, I have also seen her just walk away from the matter as if it never happened. That requires so much strength, and so much faith. No wonder Paul says it is 'honoring to the Lord' to just allow it to happen.

Yes, my attitude on this matter relates to my pride. It also relates to my desire for control of my life, as I hate the idea that lies told about me - or acts that cheat me - can then impact my life and how others perceive me. That of course is only true when I focus on earthly values, and not on the Lord and his opinion of me.

I see two of my notes I keep in front of me now. One reminds me that I am only supposed to seek the Lord, and not "truth". Another shows that God's version of "war" involves only one action on my part, which is prayer. Fighting anyone over the truth is misaligned to both of these.

Prayer: Lord, I have so very many flaws, and they all conspire against me in this one trait, that I cannot stand to be mistreated and cheated. So as I find more humility, more trust, and more time to pray, I expect this to subside. I do not pray for no more attacks, for I know that will never come. Instead, may someday I be known as a peacemaker, passive in the face of attack. Amen.