“I didn’t know
anything about it.” My supervisor said it without batting an eye. He, another
employee and I had a meeting about an incident that had occurred where we
worked. The incident, he, all of a sudden, knew nothing about.
Trying to help him
out, I reminded him. “We met about it two weeks ago. We told you exactly what
happened and how we responded to the issue. You told us we’d handled it well.”
Now we were
meeting with a committee which “was looking into the incident” – a committee
prepped by my supervisor. It was not looking good. There was no large hand, but
even still the writing on the wall said he was hanging us out to dry.
“I remember having
a meeting,” he admitted, “but we never talked about that.” Again, he didn’t
even blink, just pasted a look of feigned innocence across his face.
It was at this
moment when I, mild mannered man that I am, jumped up and yelled, “That’s a
bold-faced lie!” Okay, it probably wasn’t my most graceful display. But did he
lie? You bet.
Did my outburst
change the minds of the committee members? Not even a little, in fact, the
other employee and I were soon looking for employment elsewhere. I hate to
admit it, but it took me a long time to forgive that man.
The anger I felt
toward him wasn’t abandoned in that conference room. It wasn’t left in a desk
drawer, like a discarded paper clip. Instead, I carried it with me to my next
job. New bosses and future fellow-workers fell beneath the axe of my anger.
Friendships were
impossible. Trust was totally absent. I lasted one year at my first job after
the incident, and only nine months at the next.
Anger and
bitterness are deceptive though. I didn’t really think I was angry. My
resentment was wrapped in a quilt of pain and self-pity. Finally, God broke
through my arrogance – and that’s what my self-pity was. He showed me the anger,
I was determined to drag around, was sin.
Sometimes, you may
have to sit side-by-side someone intent on causing you pain. It’s tough. It’s
trying. And, it’s tolerable…if you remember Paul’s words.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places (Ephesians
5:12, EVS).
The man whose lie
caused me pain was not the enemy, though I often thought of him that way. I
imagine the forces of evil smiled every time I did. Remember, whether a
coworker is driving you insane or causing you pain, that person was in the mind
and heart of God when he sent his son to Earth.
If anyone had
reason to be angry, it was Jesus. He was wounded
for OUR transgressions, bruised for OUR iniquities. It was unjust, unfair,
and yet he accepted the pain to bring glory to his father. Learn from my
mistake and even more from Jesus example – forgive, befriend and love. Bring
glory to the Father.
What about you?
Have you ever experienced a situation like this? How did you handle it? Let us know.
