People are crooks. People deceive others. It seems to be getting worse by the day. It was already bad in Biblical times: ¹³Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse.

Anita (not her real name) experienced this personally:

A year ago, I nearly lost everything and my family suffered with me. I’m the breadwinner (my husband is very ill). I was naive and trusted a “Christian” with absolutely my whole life. She was nice and all until she could get her hands on my clients, and viola – I became the crook. 

I took toilet paper from public toilets and those sachets of sugar on restaurant tables. The sugar gave me energy. My husband is diabetic too and I was afraid I would have nothing to give him if his sugar levels dropped. 

We are human and become afraid and anxious even if we know that God will take care of us.

Yes, it’s very, very difficult when I look at my family. Many people might’ve lost their jobs and I decided just to keep quiet and trust in God. It’s now a year later and I’m starting to get back on my feet and I’m generating an income.

I don’t understand how some people can cheat others just like that. The worst of all is that those people usually justify their own behaviour and don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. Then you feel like hitting back, as Anita continues:

And yes, sometimes I catch myself wishing that that person and her cronies will be punished one day, but then I also realise that it’s wrong to think that way.

It’s human to react like that and to want them to experience the same kind of pain that you are feeling. But Anita succeeds in putting a lid on that thought. She follows Paul’s advice to Timothy: ¹⁴But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers …

Life isn’t fair. Life isn’t always a tarred road. Sometimes we’re pushed onto the gravel road and often not because of something we’ve done. When people and circumstances push us in that direction through no cause of our own, it’s natural to want to kick and scream.

But for us as children of God that’s not the right direction to go. It’s important that we first stop and go to God to get rid of the emotions. You see, when we make plans with emotions taking the lead, chances are we’ll be pushed off course.

However, when we stay calm and page through the wisdom that we’ve learned from God and his word through the years, then we can respond and act within the will of God. Then we’ll have supernatural strength not to wish the crooks the same hurt and hardship. But even more, then we’ll get the strength to simply forgive. Like Anita succeeded in doing.

May her story become our story. May we receive strength and wisdom to remain on God’s course in the midst of life.

Scripture
2 Tim 3:14-17

Reflection
Where is it going hard?
Are there places where you’ve gone off course?
What now?

Prayer
Father, I struggle to keep my head above water. And yes, I struggle to remain on course. I want to live life on Your terms. But it’s hard. I know I have to live within Your will. Please help me. Amen.