GETTIN EVEN

What does this bring to mind? Grudge. Would that come to mind? It should. Most of us will say, "you can't be talking about me. I don't hold grudges." Don't you? Are you not human? I am. Holding a grudge is a way of life for all of us. We all do it in one way or another. We withhold love, understanding and fellowship from those who we feel that have caused us grief or pain. Is there any here, reading this column, who aren't hiding some sort of resentment or bitterness against a brother (a brother doesn't necessarily mean one by human blood, but by Christ' blood as well). Isn't that a "grudge?" Are we filled with envy? Do we gossip? Do we do things that will destroy a brother's reputation? Do we stop to think by being filled with these feelings and not having a forgiving and merciful spirit we are destroying the life's of those we come in contact with and especially those we love. Do we even care? In a lot of us all we care about is ruining the reputation of someone else that we think has caused us an injustice.

In the heat of a moment we say or do something that another thinks is inappropriate. Then the evil head appears with all these things, withholding love, understanding, fellowship, resentment, bitterness, envy, gossip. Yep, we hold on to these things with all our might and strengths. It never leaves our minds. We just have to show them.

We never stop to think that by having these spirits in and on us, we are showing the world that is how we feel about God. Yes we do. Yes I do. Being this is about me and what I see in my own soul, I can freely admit them. Am I proud of them? No I am not. I am so ashamed of myself. It really causes me to become disheartened. My witness is not one that causes me joy today.

How many times do we say, "I can and have forgiven them but I certainly ain't goin to forget it." This is God's way of forgiving too isn't it? The Bible tells us to "shake the dust off our feet, leave their household, never look back, if they don't receive 'our' word." Oh yeah, my words are always so right. Is that our thinking? Maybe we should think again.

Thank God, He does not and will not withhold His love from me as I have from others. He will return my joy and give me a better way to witness.

Leviticus 19:18, Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love they neighbor as theyself: I am the Lord. (avenge...retaliate for any hurt).

James 5:9, Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

Have you noticed how grudge and judge sound so much alike?

God's blessing to each of you,
LJG