You gave me victory over my accusers. -Psalm 18:43 NLT
Being accused can sting—especially when the accusations are false.
Norris couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Didn’t you know she was ____?”
“Couldn’t you smell ____ on her breath?”
It was bad enough that he’d just had his wife confess unfaithfulness and tell him she didn’t love him anymore. Now, the spiritual leaders of the church he pastored accused him of a cover-up. But he didn’t know she was ___. And he had not smelled _____ on her breath. He had his suspicions—but no solid proof. He had no choice but to resign.
I’ve experienced a little of what Norris tasted. I, too, remember when a comment I made was taken out of context and almost cost me my job. Being falsely accused hurts—and can bring a high cost.
The psalmist doesn’t tell us the nature of the accusation, but the missing information isn’t important. He trusted God to give him victory over his accusers.
Jesus was familiar with false accusations, too. When he cast out demons, the religious authorities said the prince of demons empowered him. False accusations eventually led him to the cross.
Early Christians also knew about false accusations. Ironically, the Romans accused them of being atheists. Not because they didn’t worship or believe in any god but because they would not acknowledge Caesar as a god or believe in the Roman pantheon of gods.
False accusations are a part of life at some moment during the journey. They may or may not have anything to do with our faith, but more than likely they will. Those who accuse have ulterior motives. Perhaps they want our jobs. Maybe they hate the morality that comes along with our belief system.
Jesus responded to false accusations by making himself like a sheep going to slaughter: silence. Reacting angrily, cursing, or other violent behavior won’t do the trick. Nor will appealing to our legal rights. These things will only serve to damage our witness before others.
The best course of action is to turn the matter over to God. He said vengeance belonged to him—not us. Praying over the matter and praying for the person making the false accusations will bring peace to our souls and keep us from doing something that will hinder the cause of God.
Let God handle the false accusations made against you.
–Photo by Damian Markutt on Unsplash
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