Poisoning Ourselves

Scriptures: “…For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” (Genesis 33:10)

I read from a daily devotion about a young couple who entrusted their friend with the financial future only to be betrayed. As a result, the man lost his job and all the savings they had. They were outraged and the bitterness started to grow within.

Because of this ever growing bitterness and rage, this man later had an ulcer. When his pastor came to see him, the pastor told him that, “it is as if you drank a bottle of poison and expected the other person to die. Let it go. Forgive them. Do it for you, not them.” The man struggled, but tried anyway. It took a long time, a new job and a lot of prayers.

But this man did not know if this trying time is over until, one day, he ran into that friend who betrayed him and his family. He said, “Fear shone in his eyes, and his hands trembled.” But this man assured his friend that he was not going to hurt him. He had forgiven him. At that moment, his friend’s eyes were filled with tears and said, “I’m sorry!” The man who wrote the sharing said, “Like Jacob receiving Esau’s forgiveness after stealing Esau’s birthright, this man and I both saw the face of God that afternoon.”

As I was reading this devotion, I thought to myself, “How true it is! Whenever we hold bitterness in our hearts, we are actually poisoning ourselves and expecting others to die.” It’s like, when someone else hurt us, they actually stabbed our hearts. But, they stabbed only that once. Afterwards, every time we think of that, we pick up the very same knife and stab ourselves again.

When we keep on doing that, the wound never heals. On the contrary, the wound would get worse and become harder to heal. We need to have the wounds healed so as to move forward and enjoy a healthy life again. To do so, we need to drop, or even throw away, the very knife that was and had been used to hurt us. We need to forgive and let go.

God did not give any one of us the right to go back in time to undo any wrongs or hurts. But He does offer a choice to get healing, forgiveness. It is the very choice He Himself chose to reconcile us back to Himself. He knows this would work because it has worked through the cross on Calvary.

More than forgiveness, He offered that undying love which He desires to fill our hearts so as to replenish our hearts where bitterness once occupied. Healing is good. But getting stronger is even better. God loves to see His children grow stronger each day.

Our lives are filled with afflictions. We seek every means to rid of such hurt and bitterness and failed. We need to come back to God and learn from Him. As someone once said, “God gives and forgives.” We also need to learn to give Him all our hurts and burdens and forgive those who had offended and hurt us. Then, and only then, we can have a true closure on the wounds and be able to grow strong again.

(Thanks to Mr. Tom Powell from Tennessee for the sharing on May 5th, 2008 in the Upper Room Daily Devotion)

Prayer Requests:
For those feeling betrayed

Prayer:
Our loving Lord, sometimes even our very dear friends and loved ones betrayed their love and commitments to us. It really hurts. Help us to come to You with total surrender, not just our will and plans, but also our hurts and choices, so that we may receive Your love and power to forgive and to bless. In the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, we pray, Amen!