Elisabeth Elliot: "If you punch me in the face, I'm going to punch you in the face. If you steal my coat, I'm going to steal your coat." That's not the Spirit of Christ.

Lisa Barry: An eye for an eye. We'd never admit that it's a policy we live by, but oftentimes our actions reveal that it's alive and well in our lives. We take matters into our own hands, and you'd better believe that anybody who causes me discomfort or hardship is going to pay tenfold. Is that how we face an injustice?

Well, all this week, Elisabeth Elliot has been challenging us to follow the advice of the Apostle Paul, who said, "Why not rather be wronged?" Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why not rather be wronged? Now in real life, we'd all have a multitude of answers. But for now, let's hear what Elisabeth Elliot has to say as we begin this Thursday edition of Gateway To Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That's what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, talking today about "Why Not Take Wrong?"

"Why not rather be wronged?" the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthian Christians. They were having all sorts of petty quarrels among themselves, and some of them were actually going to law against each other. The Apostle Paul makes a radical suggestion, the sort of thing that turns the world upside down, which is exactly what the Word of God does. It's going to turn your life and my life upside down the more we heed it and the more we determine to be obedient and live by it.

Remember that Jesus said, "If you want to be My disciple, the first thing you must do is the hardest." He didn't say that. He stated, "Give up your right to yourself. Deny yourself." Certainly it takes self-denial to let someone else wrong us without retaliating. It's human nature to retaliate, isn't it?

"If you punch me in the face, I'm going to punch you in the face. If you steal my coat, I'm going to steal your coat." That's not the Spirit of Christ.

Now what do you do when you have been hurt and you feel sure that you didn't deserve it? This is not a big thing that you're going to go to law about, but how many days do we get through when somebody doesn't manage to hurt us in some perhaps tiny way? Or perhaps some big way. But nevertheless, we were insulted or we were hurt or we just feel as though this person has sinned grievously against us. Of course, we feel quite sure we did not deserve it.

Any who long for holiness must learn that it cannot be merely bestowed on us. God doesn't just put holiness on us like a coat. It is a lifetime process, which requires suffering. Our human attitude is to avoid suffering whenever we possibly can. We live in a country where we think we can fix everything. We are determined to have a no-risk life. Well, there ain't no such thing.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, writes in his epistle, James 1:2-4: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

I want to repeat that phrase, "the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." We have not become mature in Christ until we are willing to receive wrong without retaliating.

If you think of those who have most deeply influenced your spiritual life, you will discover that every one of them has suffered, often in ways which seem greatly undeserved. If it is accident or illness, we may label it merely "fate." But if it's wrong done to them by a human being, it seems highly unfair.

Were you to ask them what they had learned in the deep waters and the hot fires, they would tell you that they had recognized the testing of their faith, which had produced, through the grace of God, perseverance. That process is necessary for all of us. Christ Himself experienced far more hurts than you and I will ever know.

It says in Hebrews, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. And once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him."

Jesus Christ is the source of eternal salvation for you and me. Will we obey Him in this matter of accepting wrongs? Even though Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, that One of course was His Heavenly Father. Did He save Him from death? No.

We often ask, "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?" He didn't answer Jesus' prayer, did He? He did not save Him from death. Dare we suppose that we do not need the lessons of suffering? Shall we refuse to take up the cross and follow Him?

The following little, very useful, sequence that I think would be very helpful for all of us to memorize when we're hurt by someone, came from my friend, Arlita Winston. She calls it the "Balm of Gilead." The ointment or the balm of Gilead. Four simple, but not easy, steps toward peace when we have been wronged. Perhaps we've even been outraged by somebody and we are convinced that we did not deserve it. Here's what Arlita says we can do.

Number one, confess my anger or hatred or desire for revenge or self-pity. I have to start by confession. Both I and the one who wronged me now need the same cross, the cross on which our sinless Savior suffered.

The second thing, after confessing my anger or hatred or desire for revenge or self-pity, is to repent. This is a 180-degree turnaround. I am telling God I'm sorry, when I really was wanting to tell God what a terrible thing that person did to me. I need to repent because my attitude is out of line.

Number three, pray, "Wash me with Your blood. Cleanse me."

Number four, and this is the toughest, bless the one who hurt you. Forgive him and bless him.

I'll run those by again. The first is confession of whatever wrong feelings you had when you were hurt. The second, repentance. The third, prayer. The fourth, blessing.

Peter says in his epistle, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed."

Christ suffered and we are given the unspeakable privilege of participating in the sufferings of Christ. Have you thought much about that? It's a staggering thing, isn't it? When I suffer, Christ suffers with me because Christ lives in me. He wants me to offer my sufferings to Him. He wants to take them. He wants to receive them. Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ.

Now think about over the past week. Who hurt you? Who gave you a strange look in church? Who eliminated you from his or her circle? I don't know what the answer is, but there are some of you out there that can probably think of some answers. Now I want to say to you that suffering is a gift.

It says in Philippians 1:29, "It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had and now hear that I still have." That's Paul talking. "It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him."

Fenelon, whose dates are 1651-1715, said, "Accustom yourself to unreasonableness and injustice. Abide in peace in the presence of God, who sees all these evils more clearly than you do, and who permits them. Be content with doing with calmness the little which depends upon yourself, and let all else be to you as if it were not."

I have found that to be a liberating principle in my life-just accustoming myself to unreasonableness and injustice. I do get some unreasonable letters once in a while. I get some criticisms which I think are unjust. This is my answer.

And in Romans 8, "If we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings, in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Jesus told us that if we want to be His disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Him. The taking up of the cross may be the acceptance of that deep hurt that you experienced. May the Lord grant us the grace to do these painful, but wonderfully liberating, things. Deny yourself. Take up the cross and follow.

Lisa Barry: Each of us has varying weights for that cross. For some, it might be a relatively painless process. For others, it might necessitate all of the strength we can muster. But for those of you to whom it seems a total impossibility, God says that for Him, all things are possible.

Let me suggest a book that will take that thought a step further. It's called A PATH THROUGH SUFFERING. We have it in regular type and now large print. Read it and you may never be the same.

For more information on how you can purchase that, you can write to us at Gateway To Joy, Box 82500, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501. Or call toll-free: 1-800-759-4JOY. That's 1-800-759-4569. Our Internet ministry address is gatewaytojoy.org. Gateway To Joy has been a production of Back to the Bible.

Tomorrow a word on forgiveness, so don't miss the next Gateway To Joy.