| JANUARY 31, 2011
|
Previous Devotionals
|
LET IT GO!
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. (Matt. 5:38)
Men have an incredible ability to hold onto a grudge! We will hold onto it so long in some cases, we cannot even remember why we are offended! Several men have even taken offence, malice and vengeance to the grave. Why are we like this?
Men are typically stubborn. We feel we need to be justified and vindicated. We are also very competitive. When we win an argument, to us, this a major victory! But God help us if we are not vindicated. We want people to pay for their crimes and transgressions, and we feel a very strong sense of injustice when people don’t get what they have coming.
This mentality is not only dangerous, it is unhealthy. Our inability to let go leads to frustration and from frustration to anger, and if we aren’t careful from here, our anger may take control of us. How many times have we heard on the news about people killing in a fit of passionate rage? Is it coincidence that the word ‘anger’ is only one letter from becoming ‘danger’? If we feel slighted, or offended, the best thing to do is immediately forgive and leave it with God. He is very clear on this too! “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.” (Deut. 32:35) God will deal with the person that has offended you, but He will be merciful. He will convict the person to make amends, and if they refuse, it will be on their own head. Also remember how many times you have hurt or caused offense. Wouldn’t you like to know that you have been forgiven? This is why only God can deal with these issues you have. Only He is perfect and purely just. We are not. There are many passages in Proverbs that point out the folly of wrath. “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.” (Prov. 14:29)
Next time you feel that you have been wronged, try this: Immediately forgive and speak to this person with compassion and understanding, and then go home and pray for them. The results will amaze you. They won’t know how to respond, or they may even repent right there on the spot. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov.15:1) By contrast, “A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.” (Prov. 15:18) Reacting with anger or rage will never bring peace.
God speaks very highly of the man who has learned to turn from anger. His word says in Proverbs 16:32, “He who is slow to anger is better that the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
The Bible tells us that offenses will come, but how will we deal with it? The world already has enough anger, cruelty and destruction. Do we want to be a part of that, or offer those around us a better alternative?
Verse to meditate on: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt. 5:9) |
|
|
Check out the most current events here
|
