Should Christians be doormats?

It is misleading, confusing & dangerous to get advices from YouTube, whether from Podcasts, or other forms of communication because these are made for the general public, not for a specific person, with a specific past, personality, life & situation.

I heard the other day a pastor say that Christians should suffer in silence at work, if they are being bullied or disrespected, because this is what Jesus did, he patiently & humbly suffered at the hands of human beings.

I think such a statement is simply unacceptable & irresponsible, and here is why.

First, Jesus was on a Divine Mission, not a mere job. He was not representing himself, but a greater Being, and had deliberately chosen his unique, extraordinary path, and knew perfectly what was lying ahead of Him.

Second, the same situation in different people's lives can mean different things, as can the exact situation occur several times in a person's life and call for different reactions, according to the person's level of consciousness, needs & season in life.

Sometimes God may want to see if one will simply assume that HE wants us to suffer and that this is is what we "deserve", HE will want to know what we think of HIM and of His will and intention in our life. Other times, God may want to shape our patience and resilience.

The only way to know is through prayer and DIRECT conversation with God.

No one should give us an answer, but rather, show us the way to the answer.

One can find out what the purpose of the situation is, by, for instance, trying to get out of it. One could ask for a position change within the same company, or a relocation, or one could look for a completely different opportunity somewhere else.

If all doors seem to remain closed and God doesn't create an opening for us, maybe this could mean we have to be patient, but it could also mean we're looking in the wrong direction.

Maybe God wants us to transform our life completely, acquire new skills, or explore a childhood dream.

Maybe this difficult situation is a blessing for us to recover our real "Self", that we might have lost along the way.

Maybe God wants to free us from our shackles and bless us beyond measure.

Maybe we studied law but, what we really need to be doing, is paint, sing, or become a stand up comedian...

As you can see, there are lots of "maybes" in this article, because a person is complex, and so is her life.

Only God knows, no other human being.

The path is wide open when an obstacle emerges and many directions and lessons, as well as interpretations and conclusions can be made.

We should not seek answers from others, even if it seems reassuring and easier, rather, we should have the value to look for the answers ourselves, own our differences and fully embrace our unique destiny, for we are not like anybody else, and no one is like us.

The only honest answer a person should give us, or the only true "diagnosis" should be something in the lines of: "I don't know, but we can find out by praying".

We, therapists, don't always know what is best for us, for we are also trying to figure things out, but saying that we don't know is not pleasant for the ego.

Don't be afraid to be free and find your own path, for no one is inside the beautiful, mysterious and impenetrable heart of God and no one sees through HIS eyes.

Truth is, one doesn't even need the diagnosis of a clinical psychologist or any kind of the therapist, for a simple prayer, asking God to heal us from whatever we have is sharper, costless and more effective.

One just needs to dare and trust God only.

I have tried this personally and it works every single time. One needs to dwell enough time with the question, or the query, until healing and/or clarity comes.

One will know what to do, where to go, what to eat, who to talk to, or what to change to be healthy again, or on the right path.

Human beings, we don't usually trust, or like what is simple, but it is maybe time to change that.

Nermine, December 2023