Holding a Grudge

It will eat you from the inside-out . . . Holding a grudge, harboring anger is a dangerous and unhealthy thing. So, why it is to easy to do?? Why so hard to let go??

The first step is to realize why we hold on to anger . . . It IS natural that we get angry for a variety of reasons. When we hold on to it, it is usually an act of our own ego. We feel we have been wronged or someone we love has been wronged and it becomes very difficult to forgive. Sometimes the one wronging us or our loved one never asks for forgiveness, and we feel we shouldn’t have to forgive. I could keep on writing about this, but you get the idea . . .

But, holding a grudge only hurts the one holding it. Most times, the “grudgee” has no idea and does not even care. Yet, we hold on to it and allow it to alter our lives, run our bloodpressure up, put gray hairs on our heads, all in the name of what we think is right.

The difficult thing here is that the person who wronged us might NEVER apologize or give us sufficient reason, in our minds, to let go of the grudge. So we hold on tight and it keeps eating away at US. RESPECT YOURSELF MORE THAN THAT.

The words of Jesus clearly tell us that we cannot worship God if we are harboring bitterness toward others OR if we know a relationship is broken with another. HOW DO WE DO IT?? As we talked about last night at Wednesday Bible Study, this is one of the areas of life where God’s grace will help us if we let it. God can give you what you need to forgive EVEN when human nature tells you not to forgive. And, it IS liberating to allow such burdens to be lifted . . Believe me.

I don’t have it all worked out yet. I don’t have this one licked. But I am trying!!!