Let go of grudges and build bridges instead.
| posted 1/30/2009
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I thought I could trust her, but she passed on my secret. "She ignored me when she got married—and now she wants to be friends again. I don't get it." If you faced these or any other situations where you've felt betrayed by a friend, you know that friendship isn't easy. It's risky to let someone get to know the real you. And when that person hurts you, the hurt can go down deep.
In such times, it's important to obey the biblical mandate for this passage: "You shall not hate your brother in your heart … You shall not take vengeance." When someone hurts you, it's only human to want to fight back—to hurt that person as much as he or she has hurt you. But a life of revenge is not the way God chooses for you to live. Instead, He commands, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
As startling as that statement sounds, it's right and true. When you seek revenge, revenge holds you in its bitter grip. But when you choose to forgive, and even reach out in love, revenge melts away. And who knows? You might gain an even deeper relationship with that friend—or, at the very least, you can rest in a clean conscience. (See also Matthew 5:21-26; Matthew 18:15-20; Luke 6:37-42.)
Good Words to Remember:
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18
Today's Challenge:
Is there a grudge you need to let go today? If so, take that step.
Copyright 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.
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