One of the most painful things that a person can feel is the damage that is done when someone assassinates their character. Regardless of the truth or the fallacy of the rumor or slanderous comments that were spread regarding a person, many who fall prey to this attack find themselves helpless against it.
Character assassination works to discredit someone of their capacity to have good relations with others as well as robbing them of the opportunity to do good things while being trusted by many. It happens when a person speaks ill, either true or false, of another person to others. The end result is that the slanderer gets more support or favor, while the victim loses their credibility in the sight of even their friends.
The Bible presents to us several people who experienced being maligned in this way. Satan assassinated Job's character before the Lord; Paul was maligned by envious Jews before the court; and even the Lord Jesus Himself was maligned by the Pharisees before Pilate.
We all know that what they went through was not even the least pleasant, but they all overcame and received such a great honor afterwards: Job was blessed with more than double compared to what he lost; Paul was able to spread the gospel to Rome without any hindrance; while Jesus paid the price for our salvation and was given the name that is above every name. True, God is a God of justice.
Have you ever had your character assassinated for some reason? Here are some things that you can do to get up and step above it.
1) Stand on the truth
Slander is characterized by plain lies, either by blowing facts out of proportion or by simply fabricating stories. Check the truth. If there's any fault on your part, repent of it before the Lord. Know the truth and stand on it. Don't let anything move you (see 1 Corinthians 15:58).
2) Bring your case before the Lord
God said "leave room for retribution" (see Romans 12:19). Just bring your case and present it before the Lord. Ask Him for His help. Remember: it was God who brought justice to Job, safety and privilege for Paul, and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will hear your plea.
3) Bless your slanderer
The best way to repay someone for offending you or hurting is blessing them (see Rom. 12:14, 20; Proverbs 25:21-22). The Bible says you should pray for those who persecute you, and bless those who hurt you. In doing this, not only do you prove their accusations and slanderous comments wrong, but you also show those who believed the lie that they have done wrong by not knowing what is true. This comes with a bonus – you can then share the gospel to all of them!
