I know what most of you are going through and how your faith is being tested. So, for the New Year I thought I'd give you some encouragement. 

Many a life has been ruined trying to please a parent or authoritarian figure whose pleasure it was to make you fail. The more you succeeded, the more you outshone and displeased the confounding parent or teacher. When you were right you were never right enough, and when wrong you were never wrong enough. 

This kind of parent is encountered also in the business world. Money is never enough to satisfy the perverse pleasure of degrading and enslaving, especially those who have the God-given spark of brightness. So, they degrade their employees to work harder, not just for the money, but to enslave their souls. No matter how well you do, it is never good enough. It will surely drive you into depression, or to make a fortune for the tyrant-boss, either way, satisfying their peculiar madness.

With a straight face, such tormented people, torment. They berate every success and take pleasure in every failure. When a person is subject to these controlling types, it can appear that the only choice you have is to become upset and resentful; right there, no matter what you do, you become confused and depressed. However, if you don't dance they cannot advance. If you don’t become resentful and upset, you win by never losing (your patience).

Now, something quite remarkable happens. The bully will become upset when he or she cannot upset you, which will give them a different set of choices from those they gave you. If they see their wrongs and repent (that’s good), or otherwise they find themselves experiencing the very curse they wished on you (too bad for them).

"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which spitefully use you."

Luke 6:28

Every person in whom the light shines is tested for their fealty to God. Temptation approaches in many forms, all designed to cripple and enslave.

You are trying to be the best person you can be -- unlike the bullies in your life. That childhood weakness emboldens your tyrant. They will confound you with a straight face, twisting your every success into failure and reveling in your confusion. In their eyes you can do nothing right. On the bright side, if you forbear to be resentful, the light in you will overcome their indwelling-evil with good; the keywords are…forbear to resent. 

It is impossible to take a truly positive stand when you are secretly responding with anger and resentment. Resentment separates you from the good by which all evil is overcome. By not responding resentfully, they--not you--become the effect of a good cause. With every patient response your nature will shine more brightly. You may even become the instrument of bringing them to repentance. 

The world is full of confusing people breeding confusing people. The philosopher Voltaire said that madness is to have erroneous perceptions and to reason correctly from them. Understanding this, don’t let any one confuse you. Stand your ground; trust your common sense; look at your bully as if he or she were talking-furniture, if you see what I mean. Don't take their cruelty so personally.