We have praised self-esteem but have not cautioned against pride. Pride is the most important thing and it is something which demands respect and dignity from others. If we hear a word said against us, we forget all the words we have spoken against others, and excommunicate that individual from our love and grace. In the worst circumstances, we replay the offense over and over in our brains until it festers and becomes an illness in our memories. Just the thought of it, even in passing, hurts.
Believe it or not, ego is the reason of all that, not the person who offended you. If we value people more than ourselves, we will look into their remarks to discover if there is truth in them. If there is, we will apologize and change our life. If not, then we will surrender those words to God, and continue loving that individual. How many times have we sinned against God? Does He keep a record of every offense and remind you of them every time you wish to pray? Jesus stated (paraphrase) God will treat you the way you treat others. Sounds like we’d best be very liberal in our forgiving!
Meditation: Who do I need to forgive and love again?
Leviticus 19:18 18“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Love…keeps no record of wrongs. 1Corinthians 13:4 Jesus said that this was one of the Laws that summed up all the others (Matthew 22:39,40). I’ll bet when you read that verse, the ‘bear a grudge’ part pricked your heart, or at least provoked a memory. We seem so ready to be offended in this day and age. Jesus warned us that this would be true (Matthew 24:12).
