Forgiving as Christ Forgave: A 7-Day JourneyNäide

Have you been hurt by a Christian who chose to condemn you instead of showing compassion and helping you? Or by someone who neglected you when they should have sought you out, restored you spiritually and returned you to your rightful place in the family of God? Most people who’ve been hurt by other Christians could easily convince a jury that it should never have happened. And the truth is, it shouldn’t. But it did—and reliving it won’t change things.

But it will change you—and not for the better. Stop and think: if you were mugged and taken to the hospital, you wouldn’t spend all your time obsessing about the person who beat you up. No, your main objective would be to recover as quickly as possible and move on. Ironically, with physical wounds we seek help immediately, but with emotional ones we’re inclined to focus on the problem instead of the solution. So what are you going to do?

Here are your options: (1) Rehearse it. By constantly talking to others about what happened, you empower your pain and keep it alive. (2) Repress it. David did that: ‘When I kept silent…my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.’ (Psalm 32:3–4 NIV) (3) Process it. That means being willing to uncover the areas where you were wounded and opening yourself to receive God’s grace. That’s when you discover: ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’ (Psalm 147:3 NKJV) (4) Share it. The Bible says, ‘Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…’ (James 5:16 NIV) If you’re wise you’ll choose options three and four.