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Devotional:
Step 2: “They” Consider - “What is not my fault?” “How have other people affected my identity?”.
The problem of sin is not isolated to you. You are not the only sinner on the planet. All people sin. Your mom has sinned. Your dad has sinned. Your best friend has sinned. Your pastor has sinned. And the fact that all people sin affects you.
Jesus tells you that you are blessed when you mourn. When people hurt you or you go through painful situations, a wound is opened up that needs to heal. Just like you cannot receive treatment for a cut or injury if you try to “tough it out,” you cannot receive comfort until you acknowledge the pain.
In Romans three, there is a graphic description of sin. Ruin and misery mark its path. People hurt you and so you carry the imprint of others’ sin in your life. Maybe because of that you have received negative messages about your own value and worth and lovability. Other people’s sin can easily have a significant impact on you and on your sense of identity.
In tomorrow’s reading, you will see the hope of the gospel and how it can heal the hurts you have experienced. But, in order to embrace that healing, you have to examine and clean the wound. The first step is to take some time to intentionally understand how other people’s sin has affected you - how other people have hurt you.
Today’s Challenge:
Using the same relationships you thought about yesterday - consider the ways others have hurt you instead of thinking about the ways you have hurt others.
This is not meant to be gossip or vilifying. It is an honest assessment of what they did and how it impacted you. It could be as simple as “They said ____, and that made me feel belittled.”
Journal your answers to the questions, “What is not my fault?” “How am I hurt?” “Why does it matter to me?”. Be careful not to assign intention - you don’t know why others hurt you (you’re not in their head). And usually, when a person explains another person’s intention, they accidentally invalidate their own pain. (“They did that, but it doesn’t matter because they didn’t mean to…”)
Keep it simple, clear, and honest.
Scripture
About this Plan
Most people experience deep pain at some point in their life. After a traumatic or difficult event, people may feel angry, confused, or scared. There are other forms of pain - grief, broken relationships, addictions, and more. Most people encounter one of these in their life - and the worst part is that without processing the pain, people often become bitter or numb.
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