Heart Check

I have been at places in my life where I just really felt like my heart wasn’t right toward a particular person. Maybe I was justified in it, but I didn’t want to walk around each day with that baggage. There is a trick I learned that really helped me evaluate where my heart was toward a person. Not only that, it actually worked like a chiropractor for me and made adjustments for some crooked places there.

It all stems from these verses found in Matthew:

Matthew 5:44-45a

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.

Sometimes, it’s not even someone who is persecuting me. It could be just someone who really annoys me. When I apply the wisdom found in this verse, I begin to see them in a different light and it’s really cool to see.

Sometimes, it is someone who has persecuted me or even someone that has acted like an enemy to me. It could be someone I trusted or someone I didn’t even know that well, but nevertheless they chose to pierce my heart.

Sometimes, the person is no longer persecuting me. Instead, it’s the memories of the hurt that hound me incessantly. I may feel harassed and badgered by thoughts of the offenses. With every thought, comes a wedge and root of bitterness toward a person I may truly want to forgive.

The trick for me has been to pray for those who have hurt me or despitefully used me. It is so hard to feel anger toward a person in the moment you are praying for them. I didn’t say praying about them. I said praying for them. For God to work in their life, for God to bring healing to them, and for God to help place them on a good path. I can’t wait to feel like it, I choose to pray for them even when negative thoughts about them come up. Especially when negative thoughts about them come up.

My goal in life is not to be right in my anger; it is to be righteous in my response.

Matthew 5:46-47

If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

I am different from those not living for the Lord because I have the Holy Spirit living in me. He empowers me to do things others could never dream of doing. His grace working through me and His love working in me gives me the strength to pray for those who have hurt me deeply. As I choose a righteous response, the Lord is able to bring healing in a way that those who choose the easy road of bitterness will never know.

Father God, I pray right now for the specific person and people that have hurt me. I release my hurt to You by faith and I pray that You work in their life. I pray that You teach their heart about You and that You get into the deepest places of their heart to bring light into their darkness. I pray that You lead them down the path that You have for them. Amen.

#forgiveness #resentment