How should I respond to accusations against me? - Accusations - TouchPoints

Psalm 27:1-3The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.

Psalm 35:21-24They shout, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it!” O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord. Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord. Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice. Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.

Romans 8:31If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Our first line of defense is to draw strength from the assurance that God is for us, not against us. God has full knowledge of the accusation and the truth, and he has the authority and ability to handle the situation. If we are innocent, we should defend ourselves. But we shouldn’t forget to ask God to defend us and see that justice is done. Human accusation, criticism, and opposition cannot quench the fortifying power of God’s love and truth.

Nehemiah 6:8-9I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Accusations can become a distraction from God and his mission. When accused, we should take the matter to God, draw strength from him, and then continue serving him with our life and work.

Psalm 119:78Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me; meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments.

Proverbs 26:2Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.

1 Peter 2:15It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

Instead of trying to even the score against our accusers, we can focus on the instructions and promises of God’s Word. Living faithfully for God is a testimony against false accusations.

Genesis 3:11-13“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

Hosea 4:4Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.

When we are accused, blaming others is often our first reaction. However, there are times when we need to accept the blame that is rightfully ours. If an accusation against us is true, we need to own it, ask forgiveness from those we hurt, and make things right. Promptly accepting responsibility leads to a smoother resolution in the long run.

Luke 12:11-12“And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.”

We can seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we respond to accusations. He can give us help we never thought possible.

Matthew 5:44“Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

Mark 11:25“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Romans 12:20-21Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer! As hard as it is to love someone who falsely accuses you, when you pray for them, you will begin to see them as Jesus does.

Matthew 5:11“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.”

1 Peter 3:14Even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.

Jesus was mocked and persecuted. His followers should expect the same. But God will reward us when you are persecuted for Jesus’ sake, because we have identified ourselves with him.

Psalm 103:6The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

Psalm 140:12I know the Lord will help those they persecute; he will give justice to the poor.

Romans 14:12Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10We must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Although false accusations sometimes lead to unjust earthly punishments, the ultimate Judge who metes out both punishments and rewards is God. As the just Judge, God will always bring justice in the end. Sometimes his justice is swift. Sometimes it is deferred until the final judgment. Either way, we can be confident our Holy Judge will set things right.

1 Peter 2:12, 15Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world . . . It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

God calls us to continue to live Christ-like lives before our accusers. It will be magnetic, and may even attract our accusers to God.

Romans 12:14-21Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them . . . Never pay back evil with more evil . . . never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say . . . “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Jude 1:9Even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

While our first instinct may be to exercise any power and influence we have to justify ourselves and vindicate our reputation, obeying God in faithful humility and trusting him to make things right should be our first priority. From that place, our next course of action will become clearer.