Years ago when I was dealing with a very difficult person, the Lord spoke to my heart: “Joanne, stop judging and talking so badly about this person and bless them.” At first I thought it was just my vain imagining and then I heard the same thing again in my quiet time with the Lord. It’s difficult enough if you have to bless those who have hurt you, but almost impossible when they have hurt your child. This was the situation and I just simply could not let go. One day in desperation I took God at His word and began to pray for this person. Then my heart softened and I began to bless this person with my words and finally I was at peace with him.
Over the years, I have come to realize that when we are wronged, the worst thing we can do is agree with the enemy and become bitter, judgmental or even say things we should not. I have learned that if I will surrender the hurt to the Lord and guard my heart, the result is infinitely better. Do you have someone in your life who consistently causes you pain? Take this person to the Lord and pray for God’s highest and best for them. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to pray for him or her and ask the Lord to keep your heart tender.
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-29).
Loving our enemies and blessing them goes against our nature. When wronged, we want to retaliate. When hurt, we want to pull away or become angry. But Jesus tells us to love and pray for those who curse us. That is a tall order, right? Not really. The Holy Spirit is activated by our obedience to the Word. As we are obedient to the Word, God will turn our hearts towards Him and rather than being bitter we become better.
WHEN WE COME IN THE OPPOSITE SPIRIT FROM THOSE WHO HURT US, WE BECOME SALT AND LIGHT TO A BROKEN WORLD. WE BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (Matthew 5:13-16)
Today, if you are going through a difficult time working through a painful relationship, ask the Lord to help you come in the opposite spirit. If you are tired or worn out, wait until you are rested and ready to give it a go. God will meet you there.
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