ROOTED RENEGADE

Has anyone ever lied about you to someone else and you found out about it? I have experienced this many times and it can be quite painful at first. It can cause feelings of confusion, hurt, anger, betrayal, rejection and more. Often times we want to confront the person immediately (and sometimes we do – just with wrong motives).

But immediate confrontation is not always the answer. In fact, if we don’t pray before speaking, we are falling right in to the enemy’s hands. Just because someone lies about us, doesn’t automatically make them right. And just because some people may believe them, doesn’t make them right either. Those who know you well, will know you well enough to know if it is a lie or the truth.

What you do when you are fasely accused is what matters the most. Regardless of whether the person admits to the truth, your response says more than their accusation. Because the only person you will have to answer to for how you responded is Jesus. No one else. And the people who lie about you, will have to answer to Him too. 

Nehemiah knew all too well what it was like to be falsely accused. In Nehemiah 6:5-8 it says: 

“Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations – and Geshem agrees – that you and hte Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalme to proclaim on your behalf, ‘There is a king in Judah’. These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let us confer together. Then I replied to him, ‘There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.’”

Nehemiah’s response was straightforward and based in truth. He wasn’t attacking Sanballat back. as it may seem to some. He was facing the giant of false accusation head on without fear of retaliation.

We get afraid sometimes that if we stand up for what’s right, what’s true, and what matters, that we will face retaliation. And we very well may. But God is bigger than all the retaliation that may come our way!!

Nehemiah asked “But now, my God, strengthen my hands” (verse 9). He stayed aligned to God while he actively dealt with the giants coming against him. And we can too.

We don’t have to be arrogant or rude to anyone regardless of how they treat us. When we see the spiritual side of the circumstances, we are more ept to respond like Nehemiah and even like Jesus. Somethings will require a response and others won’t. It’s up to us to ask Holy Spirit to guide us in the right direction.

And then respond appropriately.

I will end with this…

The giant of false accusation will always be caught because light overcomes the darkness every time. It may not look like what we want it to look like, but it will look like what God has ordained.

• Don’t be afraid when other falsely accuse you.
• Don’t stay angry and be quick to forgive and release.
• Do keep your eyes fixated on Jesus – the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
• Do respond as Holy Spirit leads you and not in your flesh.

Lastly, let the work that God started in you be carried out to completion (Philippians 1:6). And know that you are never alone when you face the giants. They will all fall!

Faythe