Mean Girls...All Grown Up!

So, most of us were familiar with Mean Girls when we were growing up. In Highschool, they were the girls that picked on what you were wearing, made faces at you behind your back, and basically just made your life more difficult. But, don't we think that adult women should act better than those girls....we should never find a "mean girl" in our workplace, group of friends, or even our church, right?

The answer is wrong and is sometimes frusterating to women! Why doesn't she like me? What did I do to her? How can I get back at her? How can I expose her to others?

I sometimes worry too much about what people think of me. I am a "people pleaser", I like to make people happy. I will admit that sometimes I get frusterated when people get upset or are rude to me. But, hello, you cannot please everyone. Jesus was perfect and even He couldn't make EVERYONE like him!

I have been struggling with this for awhile now and recently started reading the devotional book "Mean Girls, All Grown Up" It really has helped me learn how to deal with people that are just, let's face it, difficult. And I am guilty of holding on to grudges against people who are mean to me. That just perpetuates the negative attitude!

It seems SO simple now when you think about it, but what is your first response when someone is rude to you or hurts you. Do you cry? Gossip about her/him? Think of a way to hurt them back? Get angry?

How about...Rejoice? Yes, I mean rejoice. That's what the Bible tells us to do! Look at this:

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
-1 Peter 4:12-13

So, actually, when you face adversity of ANY kind, and lets face it, a "mean girl" one form...consider it ALL joy, because God is setting you up for a blessing! Yes, but only if you do things the right way. If you do things the wrong way, you are only lowering yourself to the "mean girl's" level, you are no better than her. So when she zaps you with a good one, what do you do? You smile, you are polite, and you pray for her. It is extremely hard to do and I am not always the best at it, I will admit. But, it is the best thing you can do for yourself and for her. Remember, God will seek justice for you, it is not your job!

I would encourage every woman to read this book. We have all experienced "mean girls" and all have probably been a "mean girl" to someone else and we will be judged and rewarded at how we respond!