Lay it down!

OK, so I am stubborn and hard-headed, but I am trying to work through this.....thanks to the grace of God and the WONDERFUL book I am reading !
I am finding that our world is SO incredibly warped!
You know it sends the message to be strong, independent, don't let anyone take advantage of you, stand up for yourself and this message is started out at an early age!
This is where the stubborn, hard-headedness (if that is even a word) comes into play that I am DESPERATELY trying to change.
Do you stand up for what you feel/think is right?
Like that would mean you are living by/on emotion, right?
Or, do you just lay it down? That would mean your are weak and let people take advantage of you??????????? And I am NOT weak and WILL NOT be taken advantage of!
I so remember having a conversation with my friend not too long ago about how I "stood up for myself and what was right".
My rational was that the Lord did not intend for us to be "walked all over or taken advantage of".
But I had this feeling....what I thought was condemnation and figured it was another one of the enemy's savvy tricks, so I was determined NOT to let it get to me. I even had others pray with me and for me because the condemnation was just lingering.
Well, as I am reading in my book, I see that we ARE to just "lay it down" and not take matters into our own hands. We just give that person over to the Lord....and let HIM deal with that person. OH GOSH! What freedom, one less thing the Lord needs my help with... HE HE!
It DOES NOT mean we are weak or giving people a ticket to trample on us like a door mat, it means we are OBEDIENT!

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31

So that feeling I was feeling was CONVICTION, from the Lord, not condemnation (this is never from the Lord)! He was convicting me that I took matters into my own hands instead of giving that person and situation over to HIM to allow him to work for GLORY!
So for 4 months I have been walking around with conviction, not even realizing it was conviction, thinking it was condemnation and something was wrong with me and wondering if it would EVER leave me....
When all I really needed 4 mos ago was a ROLL of DUCK TAPE and more FAITH!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

The Challenge? Next time you are wronged or feel you are wronged, send out a prayer and even pray for the person who you believed wronged you! Yes, I said pray for them! It seems crazy, I know! Then sit back and watch God in his glory! His plan is far better that what we could do or imagine.