Decades ago, I had an aggressive skin condition on my legs that was very itchy. I prayed to understand that this condition could not be part of my life because it was not good; God is the only power and causes only good.

A breakthrough came when I realized I wasn’t following one of the Ten Commandments from the Bible: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). I had a new boss, whose style of management was quite different from that of my previous boss. His behavior could be very strange, and a group of coworkers and I would talk about him and his latest antics. We’d even laugh and take pleasure in rehearsing what he did. 

I realized I was bearing false witness, which means that I was speaking or thinking unjustly about someone and not being kind. I was not building up my boss but tearing him down by not seeing who he truly was as a child of God. So I stopped taking part in these conversations and looked for the good, spiritual qualities he was displaying. I learned to appreciate his joyous, creative enthusiasm and his desire to hold his team to a high standard.