Letting Go (Part Two)

by | Apr 10, 2014 | Uncategorized | 6 comments

camera first day 082Due to the enormous response I received on Tuesday’s “Letting Go” post, I decided that the topics of anger, resentment and bitterness are clearly problems for many of us and another stab at it wouldn’t be such a bad idea!!

On Tuesday, I touched a little bit on how embracing such poison becomes a habit, a crutch and strangely enough, a comfort.  In fact, most of us are plagued daily with messages of entitlement, vindication, vengeance and rationalizations.

Yes, these are the ways of the world, but did Jesus act this way?  Uh, no.

Let’s see what Jesus has to say about the matter of forgiveness:

  1. Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22
  2. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you….” Luke 6:27
  3. “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25

The list goes on and on….

Clearly, Jesus forgave quickly and abundantly.  He also said that the world would know His disciples by their love (see John 13:34-35 below).

Did you hear that?  Jesus didn’t say the world would know His disciples by how often they were right or how perfectly they followed the rules or how often they went to church.

A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  John 13:35

Jesus said to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

Does love take revenge?  Does love gossip?  Does love give the cold shoulder?  Does love give others a piece of their mind?  Does love tear down?  Does love hate?

No, it doesn’t.

Jesus is our example.  We have no valid excuse to hold onto our anger, resentment or bitterness because Jesus WAS KILLED and still asked God to forgive us.  This still amazes me, shames me and makes me eternally grateful that Jesus isn’t at all like me!!!!

We sure didn’t deserve mercy or grace then or now, so why are we so quick to judge whether someone else is worthy of OUR mercy and grace?

Man, OH, MAN!!!  All of my great reasons to hold onto anger, bitterness and resentment have jumped ship!  SHEESH!!!!

Of course, as always, this is ALL easier said than done!!!!  So, what are some easy and practical ways to get past the animosity and loathing that fill us with contempt for others?

  1. Pray for our enemies.  YES, pray GOOD things for them!!!
  2. Ask God to change our hearts.  Ask for His desires and not human ones.
  3. Read scriptures about the love and grace of Jesus Christ and God.  REPEAT often.
  4. Pray daily for the poisons of this world to stay out of our hearts, minds and souls.
  5. Thank Jesus Christ for His sacrifice even though we are undeserving!!!

Also, pray for someone you know who struggles with this and watch God work in ways you would never imagine!!!  You might be surprised how much it changes you in the meantime!!!

Some Wisdom for Today:  Proverbs 25:21 – If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

6 Comments

  1. Kelly

    great extension of Tuesday’s post. Thanks for doing what God has called you to do! Well done!

    Reply
    • meghays

      God has blessed me with His words and I would never be able to come up with this stuff on my own!! Glory be to God!!! Thanks for your huge support and encouragement!!! I love you!

      Reply
  2. Jason

    Wow! Just last night, I finished a book called “When Good Men Get Angry”. It goes into a lot of the root causes for anger and one of the main solutions stated is the constant reminding of self that the person that gets angry was the old you. You are a new creation in Christ. The old you is gone. Underlying causes such as Pride, resentment, unforgiveness, respect issues (a big issue for men), are major catalysts for anger. It is mainly written for a male perspective, but the overriding observation that we are a new creation in Christ is certainly relevant to any Christian. We should be slow to anger, quick to forgive and always try to act in the way that brings Glory to God and not shame on ourselves.

    Reply
    • meghays

      Love how God works!!! We are new in Christ and I’m SO thankful for the changes He has made in me! I’ll always be a work in progress, but at least I’m heading in the right direction these days!!

      Reply
  3. Christine

    Wow babe! I needed this today! How did you know?? That Jesus fella is a smart one!:). I woke up to negativity and feeling attacked and not sure why. I was instantly getting angry and then it dawned on me…”why am I allowing this?” It would be easy to blame the instigators but then I remembered I could control my response. Then read your GEM and loved your 5 steps. I started with one and two and already felt the burden lighten. Thank you for your words and gifts this morning! Love you and be blessed!!

    Reply
    • meghays

      Good for you, my sweets!!! I know it’s been a rough couple of weeks (or months) for you and I want you to know that you have sailed through it with thanksgiving, praising and determination rarely seen. I love you and always place my bet on you cause I know WHO you lean on for everything! Glad God could work through me today to help you, my friend!!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Kelly Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *