How should I respond when I am treated unjustly?

Psalm 17:1O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

Psalm 35:24-28Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice. Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles. Don’t let them say, “Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive!” May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor. But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord, who delights in blessing his servant with peace!” Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.

Psalm 119:149In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations.

When treated unjustly, we should pray and ask God for justice.

Proverbs 20:22Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

Romans 12:19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

When treated unjustly, we should not take revenge but wait patiently for God to work. We won’t always understand God’s timing, but we must trust it to be right.

Proverbs 25:21-22If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.

Matthew 5:39-45“But I [Jesus] say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

When treated unjustly, we should return good for evil. This even includes demonstrating love to our enemies. We can begin by praying for the perpetrators. Praying for our enemies might not change them, but it will change us.

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.

When treated unjustly, we should not allow fear and worry to overcome us, so we do not double the burden of injustice.

Matthew 27:12-14When the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

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.”

When treated unjustly, we should look to God for guidance as to when to speak and what to say.

1 Corinthians 6:7Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?

1 Peter 2:19God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.

When treated unjustly because of our faith, we should be willing to endure the earthly injustice. We can be sure that ultimately justice will be meted out in heaven by God, the perfect judge. When we are victims of other injustices, the real test is how we react as representatives of Christ.

Psalm 37:34Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.

Isaiah 56:1This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you.”

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.

When treated unjustly, we should continue to live in obedience to God and his Word. Another person’s bad behavior is no excuse for us to disobey God.

Genesis 45:4-8“Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

Psalm 101:1I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs.

Proverbs 2:8He [the Lord] guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.

When treated unjustly, we should allow God to work, look for God at work, and acknowledge God’s work.