26 Feb
Confessions - Part 3
I could feel the blood rushing to my head. The whole room seemed to be swirling around me as I sat down in my seat, thoroughly humiliated, thoroughly embarrassed. It seemed as if everyone was laughing at me after someone who I thought was my friend made fun of me in front of the entire class. I was so mad that this guy made me look so stupid in front of everyone.
The relationship that I thought I had with this person continued to head downhill from there. The jokes, pranks, and under-handed insults that we threw in each other’s direction eventually escalated to more heated arguments and fights. Finally, we weren’t even speaking to each other. Not only were we not speaking with each other, but I actively wished for bad things to happen to this guy. This was my first encounter with bitterness.
I’m not sure if this story may ring any bells with you but I have a feeling that I’m not the only person out there who has been hurt in some way and has decided to hold a grudge or become bitter because of it. I don’t think it happens on purpose. Initially, it seems as if it’s the other person’s fault, and indeed it may be – they caused the hurt, they messed up the relationship. But it is really easy to progress from there. So many times I have decided to let my anger towards a person for something they did to me turn into something far worse – at best, an utter distaste for the person, and at worst, an out-and-out hatred.
I have many friends who have had hurts that are far worse than the ones I’ve experienced – friends who’ve gone through a divorce, or verbal abuse, or sometimes even sexual or physical abuse. It seems as if the natural reaction to hurt is bitterness.
There’s an antidote to this problem. Whenever we harbor something against someone because they’ve hurt us in some way, we are choosing not to forgive them. I was reading a verse the other day that was really convicting. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Just as Christ forgave you. When I read this verse I felt God impressing a question upon me – How can you hold something against someone when I sent my Son to die for them so that something could be forgiven? That question has stuck with me over the last few days. As hard as it is to forgive people sometimes, when I consider the sacrifice that was made to forgive me of my sins, it suddenly doesn’t seem as hard to forgive those who’ve done far less to me than I’ve done to Christ. If Jesus can forgive me for the hurt I caused Him, I can forgive others for the hurts they’ve caused me.
Jesus, please help me to so understand your love for me – that I love others the way you love me. Forgive me when I choose to harbor bitterness against someone for whom you died. Empower me to let go of my pride and forgive others as you forgave me. Amen.
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Filed in: Forgiveness, Sin
About the Author
Andrew Hebert is a student at Criswell College. He enjoys reading, eating Mexican food, watching the Houston Astros, and listening to any kind of music. He and his wife, Amy, reside in Dallas and are expecting their first child in June.
