“I Was Wronged, but I was right!”

 Matthew 5:10-11 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Do you know anyone personally who has been persecuted for doing the right thing?  Anyone harmed or threatened for their faith in Jesus Christ?  Anyone misunderstood and judged wrongly for taking a moral or legal stand for what is right and against what is wrong/evil?  When I think about being persecuted as Jesus stated in Matthew 5:10 (Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven), I wonder what kinds of persecution He means.  He explains more fully in verses 11.  ( Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. )  So, Jesus is addressing many forms of being wronged even when we are right.  Doesn’t seem fair does it – to be rejected or misunderstood or abandoned by someone just because you took a moral stand, a correct action, or made a godly response?

Have you ever been wronged even when you were right?  If you are married, has your spouse wrongly accused you, rejected your godly wisdom, verbally attacked you when you were simply trying to explain your side of the story, or turned away your honest attempt to help?

Have you been judged to be a “bad person” when you stood up against someone who was doing (or about to do) a wrong or illegal act?  

I have some friends who have been threatened with harm, their businesses suffered, rejected by family or friends,  who’ve been ridiculed, had people laugh at them and call them names just for standing up for Jesus or trying to do what is right.

I have a few questions for you to consider:

1.  If your spouse misunderstands you or rejects you in some way, do you get mad or get quiet or attempt to open a conversation to seek a solution and understanding?
2. If a family member rejects you or judges you, what do you do – have you done – to try to resolve the conflict?
3. What does it take to get you to get off track with the Lord and isolate from Him or ignore Jesus?
4. Have you ever discovered that you misinterpreted the actions of another, and were, in fact, upset or angry about “nothing”?  Feels kinda’ foolish, huh?  You weren’t “persecuted” after all, were you?
5. Have you ever considered that being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake” may be experienced at home with family / spouse in ways that God wants us to learn how to speak the truth in love to them and resolve conflict as practice for other forms of personal attacks and persecutions outside your home?  Maybe finding peace and being a peacemaker at home – married or single – could be your laboratory for taking stands and resolving conflict outside the home –  at work or with friends?

Would you speak with a friend in the family or outside the family about how you have experienced or observed people being “wronged even when they are right”?  What good responses did you observe or experience?  What bad ones?  As you grew from childhood to adulthood, who did you observe asking forgiveness, giving forgiveness, resolving conflict, getting stronger in their faith or improving a relationship through asking or giving forgiveness?

Being able to stay calm and speak truth in love or receive the truth in love may be perhaps the single most important quality to help us in this current age to bridge the divides we find in families, culture, and  country.