Genesis 31:42
“Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.”
Very few things are more frustrating than to be continually mistreated and feeling like there is nothing you can do. Have you been there? I’m sure everyone at some point in their life has felt that mistreatment from someone in authority or leadership and have had that helpless feeling that there is nothing they can do about it.
It is obvious from the verse above that Jacob felt the same way about the treatment he received from his father-in-law. After Laban had hired Jacob, he saw that everything Jacob put his hand on seemed to prosper. After Jacob married Laban’s daughters, the only way he could pay him was through negotiating a deal where Jacob received certain types of cattle. In an attempt to take everything from Jacob, Laban changed his wages ten times; however, the LORD still blessed Jacob in spite of Laban’s mistreatment. In this story, there are some things you can learn from Jacob about what you should do when you are being mistreated.
First, continue to do right. Jacob certainly wasn’t one of the most honest characters in the Scriptures, but he did do right concerning Laban. When you feel that you are being mistreated by someone, you must not let their mistreatment cause you to act in spite. You must continue to do right. You will never be blessed by God if you try to get revenge for how someone has mistreated you. In the long run, your right actions will be your defense and eventual reward.
Second, continue to do your best. One thing Jacob never stopped doing was his best. Though Jacob may have lacked character in other areas of his life, it was very evident that he always did his best. God rewarded him for doing his best. You will find that by doing your best, you will become more fortunate than others. Isn’t it amazing how “lucky” those who do their best seem to be? In reality, they are not lucky, but their best simply rewards them for their effort. Friend, you must realize that the effort to do your best will be rewarded. Just because someone in authority or leadership mistreats you doesn’t give you the right not to do your best. God doesn’t command us to do our best when we are being treated right, but He commands us to do our best all the time. The real test of your Christian character will be how much effort you give when you are mistreated.
Third, realize that God is the ultimate rewarder. I love what Jacob said in the verse above when he says, “Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me…” He was acknowledging the fact that God saw the mistreatment and blessed him for continuing to do right. If you truly trust God, you will realize that He is the One Who ultimately blesses you for what you do. If you continue to do right in spite of any mistreatment, God will see it and bless you for doing the right thing.
The worst thing you can do during times of mistreatment is to complain and stop doing your best. Romans 12:21 reminds us, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” You will never overcome the mistreatment you face in your life by whining, complaining or by trying to get revenge. You overcome mistreatment by doing right and continually doing your best. God sees your efforts, and He will reward you accordingly.