He Can Heal the Hurt....

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.

Say it slowly: “Grr-uuuud-ge.”
It starts with a growl. “Grr …” Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. “Grrr …”

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

Let’s say you get even. Let’s say you get him back. Let’s say she gets what she deserves. Let’s say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?
The writer of the following letter thought she would be. She thought her revenge would bring release. But she learned otherwise.

I caught my husband making love to another woman. He swore it would never happen again. He begged me to forgive him, but I could not—would not. I was so bitter and so incapable of swallowing my pride that I could think of nothing but revenge. I was going to make him pay and pay dearly. I’d have my pound of flesh.I filed for divorce, even though my children begged me not to.Even after the divorce, my husband tried for two years to win me back. I refused to have anything to do with him. He had struck first; now I was striking back. All I wanted was to make him pay.Finally he gave up and married a lovely young widow with a couple of small children. He began rebuilding his life—without me.I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am—a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life.

Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.

The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God’s mercy.

No wonder, then, the wise man begs, “Above all else, guard your heart.”
David’s prayer should be ours: “Create in me a pure heart, O God.”

-by Max Lucado

Do you remember everything you've ever done to hurt someone? Has anyone told you that you hurt them, and you had no idea? That most likely is the case for those who have hurt you. Maybe not all the time, but most of the time, the people who hurt you move on and eventually forget about their offense. However, you can hold on to that for years. Tell me then, who is the prisoner of this bitterness? Who is still feeling bad, and who is benefitting from your grudge?

I believe the reason Christ instructs us to forgive, over and over and over again is not primarily to release others from our anger. It is to free us. Jesus knew we would be hurt over and over and over again, just as he was. He doesn't like us to bear the chains of our bitterness. He wants us to forgive those hurts and break the chains.

Today, I challenge you to think of a person you have hurt. Pray that God will help them forgive you. Then, I ask you to pray for those who have hurt you, and ask God to release you from the pain and help you forgive them.