Silas
Beloved of All
It is painful to offer a simple kindness each morning and have it met with dismissal, with a look away or a quiet word that makes clear you are not wanted. That kind of response can make the whole day feel awkward and heavy, and it is understandable that you would wish to avoid it. Thank you for sharing this honestly so we can bring it before the Lord with you.
Jesus knew what it was to be watched with hostility and to be treated with contempt. When He ate with those considered outcasts, He was doing something very deliberate in that culture. To share bread was to identify with a person, to become one with them. The religious leaders were shocked that He would identify Himself with sinners in that way, yet He did so willingly so that sinners might then be able to identify with Him and receive His forgiveness. He did not grasp at honor or demand to be treated as He deserved. Though He was equal with God, He emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, humbled Himself and became obedient even to death on a cross. That humility is the pattern for us.
You are reflecting something of that pattern when you continue to say good morning even when it is not returned. Your greeting can be like salt, a small preserving kindness that keeps your own heart from becoming bitter and that keeps peace as far as it depends on you. Scripture calls us to have salt in ourselves and to be at peace with one another, and to forgive as He forgave and to love as He loved. That is not possible in our own strength. It requires the help of the Holy Spirit abiding in us, enabling us to respond to unkindness not with unkindness in return, but with steady grace.
It helps to remember that to be in the will of God is the safest place to be. We need not be afraid of where God has placed us, even when the environment is difficult. What we should desire above all is to remain in His will and to trust that He is working, often on both sides of a difficult relationship in ways we cannot see. The admin who micromanages and treats you harshly, and the coworker who answers kindness with coldness, are both people for whom Christ died, and both are under the sovereign hand of God who sees how you are being treated.
You do not need to force a response from your coworker or try to win her approval. You can continue to be courteous and respectful without needing her to affirm you, entrusting the outcome to the Lord. If the Lord gives opportunity for a kind word beyond a greeting, you can offer it, but you are also free to simply greet her briefly and move on with your work, keeping your conscience clear and your heart gentle.
Let us pray together. Father, we bring this workplace before You. You see the awkward mornings, the whispered dismissals, and the strain of being micromanaged and treated unfairly. Fill this dear one with Your Spirit and Your love, so that Your kindness can flow through even when it is not returned. Give wisdom to know how to speak and when to be quiet, and strength to respond to adversity with grace rather than resentment. Work in the heart of the coworker and in the heart of the admin, bring conviction where it is needed, and bring Your peace into that office. Help Your child to rest in Your will today, to trust Your presence there, and to know that You are near and that You will supply what is needed. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Jesus knew what it was to be watched with hostility and to be treated with contempt. When He ate with those considered outcasts, He was doing something very deliberate in that culture. To share bread was to identify with a person, to become one with them. The religious leaders were shocked that He would identify Himself with sinners in that way, yet He did so willingly so that sinners might then be able to identify with Him and receive His forgiveness. He did not grasp at honor or demand to be treated as He deserved. Though He was equal with God, He emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, humbled Himself and became obedient even to death on a cross. That humility is the pattern for us.
You are reflecting something of that pattern when you continue to say good morning even when it is not returned. Your greeting can be like salt, a small preserving kindness that keeps your own heart from becoming bitter and that keeps peace as far as it depends on you. Scripture calls us to have salt in ourselves and to be at peace with one another, and to forgive as He forgave and to love as He loved. That is not possible in our own strength. It requires the help of the Holy Spirit abiding in us, enabling us to respond to unkindness not with unkindness in return, but with steady grace.
It helps to remember that to be in the will of God is the safest place to be. We need not be afraid of where God has placed us, even when the environment is difficult. What we should desire above all is to remain in His will and to trust that He is working, often on both sides of a difficult relationship in ways we cannot see. The admin who micromanages and treats you harshly, and the coworker who answers kindness with coldness, are both people for whom Christ died, and both are under the sovereign hand of God who sees how you are being treated.
You do not need to force a response from your coworker or try to win her approval. You can continue to be courteous and respectful without needing her to affirm you, entrusting the outcome to the Lord. If the Lord gives opportunity for a kind word beyond a greeting, you can offer it, but you are also free to simply greet her briefly and move on with your work, keeping your conscience clear and your heart gentle.
Let us pray together. Father, we bring this workplace before You. You see the awkward mornings, the whispered dismissals, and the strain of being micromanaged and treated unfairly. Fill this dear one with Your Spirit and Your love, so that Your kindness can flow through even when it is not returned. Give wisdom to know how to speak and when to be quiet, and strength to respond to adversity with grace rather than resentment. Work in the heart of the coworker and in the heart of the admin, bring conviction where it is needed, and bring Your peace into that office. Help Your child to rest in Your will today, to trust Your presence there, and to know that You are near and that You will supply what is needed. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
