Do you wonder what Jesus would do in your difficult relationship? There is a good chance that you have some misconceptions about what Jesus would do. Many Christians have a picture of Jesus as a passive weakling who allowed himself to be abused and mistreated at the whim of sinful men. This is far from the truth. Look at these truths about Jesus’ interactions:

• Jesus took care of his physical and spiritual needs. He didn’t feel compelled to fix everyone at the expense of taking care of his own needs (Matthew 14:13, 23).
• Jesus withdrew when men were trying to hurt him. He allowed them to kill him only when it was God’s appointed time (Matthew 12:14-15).
• Jesus disobeyed authority to obey God (Luke 2:41-52).
• Jesus confronted the man who slapped him (John 18:22-23).
• Jesus was incredibly confrontational and truthful in his remarks. He didn’t mince words. Jesus called evil what it was and took a stand against it (Matthew 23:1-33).
• Jesus knew people were trying to manipulate him and he didn’t allow it to work. Jesus dealt with people by knowing who he was dealing with and not allowing himself to be conned by them. (John 2:24-25).
• Jesus knew who he was and stayed firm in his purpose (John 17:4).
• Jesus didn’t let fear of people control his actions (Matthew 10:26-28).
• Jesus was flexible and not rule-based. He put the needs of people first (Matthew 12:1-8).

Do any of these truths surprise you? There is no question that Jesus had strong boundaries in relationships, knew how to take care of himself, exercised detachment, and was in control of himself at all times. What would Jesus do in your difficult relationship? He would do the same thing he did in his relationships.

By Karla Downing
 

Relationship Devotional Prayer

 
God,

Help me to have a clear picture of Jesus’ behavior in his relationships so I can do the same in mine.
 

Relationship Devotional Challenge

• Are you doing what Jesus would do in your relationships?

Scripture Meditation

 
Look up the Scriptures that show what Jesus did in his relationships.