We may expect that false reports will circulate about us; but if we follow a straight course, if we remain indifferent to these things, others will also be indifferent. Let us leave to God the care of our reputation...Slander can be lived down by our manner of living; it is not lived down by words of indignation. Let our great anxiety be to act in the fear of God and show by our conduct that these reports are false.
No one can injure our character as much as we ourselves. It is the weak trees and totering houses that need to be constantly propped. When we show ourselves so anxious to protect our repuration against attacks from the outside, we give the impression that it is not blameless before God and that it needs therefore to be continually bolstered up.
MS 24, 1887
Examples of dealing with false reports in this manner: Jesus (Isaiah 53), God the Father, Stephen, Paul, Elijah, etc.
Amen...
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