The Dream That Became a Battlefield
I once took a leap of faith: a foreign contract, a chance to
provide for my family, and an opportunity to serve alongside two younger
brothers from my church. We shared one room, one purpose—or so I thought.
But envy has a way of poisoning even sacred bonds.
The Cracks in the Foundation
The company favored my work, and resentment festered in my
brothers’ hearts. I harmed no one—I shared, prayed, and lifted them up. Yet
pride grew like a weed, choking our unity. Soon, they refused to join me in
prayer, then openly turned against me.
"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there will be disorder and every vile practice." (James 3:16)
One attacked me violently. Management intervened, but their
sympathy for my brothers only emboldened the wickedness.
The Poison Spreads
When two more men joined us, we moved to a larger room—only
for the space to fill with more lies. The instigator whispered rumors, trying
to turn the newcomers against me. But God intervened: one brother refused the
gossip and confronted him.
The response? A chilling threat: “I’ll kill you in
your sleep.”
The Fallout
Reported to management, the consequences were swift and
severe. The aggressor was dragged from lunch, locked in a room, and deported by
nightfall.
Here’s the tragedy: he was a rural father whose son had just
enrolled in a better school. His family’s dreams collapsed in an instant,
forcing them back to their village in shame.
The Bitter Lesson
This wasn’t just about workplace conflict. It was a warning:
- Pride
destroys faster than any enemy.
- God
defends the upright—but consequences spare no one.
- Even
righteous anger must be surrendered, lest it consumes us too.
That brother’s threat didn’t just cost him a job—it cost his
child’s future. And though I was vindicated, I mourned for his family.
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse." (Romans 12:14)
The Stone of Stumbling
"Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone
will come back on him who starts it rolling." (Proverbs 26:27)
The man who sought to destroy me became entangled in his own
snares. His rage cost him everything—yet in his downfall, I saw the sobering
truth: we are all one bad choice away from becoming the very evil we
condemn.
A Prayer for the Wounded and the Wound-Maker
Father,
- Forgive
them, for they knew not the weight of their hatred.
- Forgive me for
any secret pride in seeing justice served.
- Comfort
that rural family—especially the child whose future was stolen by a
father’s unchecked anger.
- Where
vengeance felt sweet, teach us to weep instead.
- And
when we’re tempted to repay evil with evil,
remind us that the only pit we dig is our own grave.
In the name of the One who was betrayed yet prayed,
“Father, forgive them” in Jesus’ mighty name. — Amen.
Your Story Matters
If this testimony resonates with you, I invite you to:
- Share
your own struggle in the comments—your words may free someone
else from shame.
- Pray
for one another by name—even for those who hurt you.
- Ask
yourself: Where is God calling me to break the cycle of
retaliation today?
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good." (Romans 12:21)
