How Are You Going To Treat Them?

I Samuel 24:17
“You are more righteous than I,” he said, “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.

It’s so easy to be mean to people who are mean to you. Its almost a knee jerk reaction that when people are antagonistic toward you, that you want to strike back. But when God has anointed you, you have a greater respect for the anointing on somebody else.

How can somebody that is anointed treat you bad? If they treat you bad doesn’t that already show you that they are not on God’s side and therefore no longer deserve respect?

Let's look at the story of David and Saul. Saul had been anointed to be the first king over Israel but somewhere along the way he stopped following God’s instruction and God took his spirit off of him and anointed David to be Israel’s next King. Saul lost the Sprit but was still anointed for the position. We never want to be anointed for something that you can no longer feel. You can still be used of God but not enjoy the peace of being connected. David was anointed and connected to God.
Saul was jealous of his armor bearer David, his son in law, his captain of the guard because young David was anointed and even the people wrote a song about how David had killed more Philistines than Saul:

Saul has killed his thousands but David has killed his tens of thousands.”

Saul tried to kill David on several occasions causing David to be on the run living in a cave with his renegade warriors. On one occasion, Saul came into the cave where David was hiding to relieve himself not knowing David was in there. David’s renegades with no connection to the king, said to David, “Here's your chance, God has delivered Saul into your hands.” David took his knife and thought about it.

There have been times when we’ve all thought about it. They’ve treated us bad and we thought about retaliating. They dogged us out and we thought about clicking on them. We thought about going off on them but the Holy Sprit wouldn’t let David kill God’s anointed. Instead, he cut a piece of Saul’s Robe. Even then David was conscience stricken, because he thought about it.

He told the King I am not the man you thought I was. I’m not going to lower myself to your expectations, instead, I’m going to raise my actions to God’s expectations. I had the chance to kill you but I didn’t! You’re God’s anointed even though you don’t act like it. I don’t like what you did to me but I have to respect the position. As a result of David’s Right Action Saul did three things:

1. He was convicted by the contrast. In verse 17, Saul tells David you were more righteous than I because I treated you bad but you treated me good. Let your actions speak for your heart. Do not be overcome with evil but instead overcome evil with good.

2. He blessed David in verse 19. Saul said, “May the lord reward you well for how you treated me today. How you treat them today will determine whether or not you get your blessing. The people who wanted to do you harm will have to bless you when you are righteous.

3. They will have to concede your promotion. In verse 20, Saul told David you will be king over Israel and your hands will establish the kingdom. Saul asks David not to cut off his family when he comes into his kingdom.

Dear God, give me the love and discipline not to retaliate against mean people. Give me the capacity to love my enemies and pray for those who despitefully use me. Increase my anointing to not act out on my anger but to operate in your love.

In Jesus Name,
Amen