There was a time when I wasted a lot of time being mad at people. The way I processed it in my brain was their wrongs toward me, plus my fury toward them, would lead to their decrease; and then I would be better. However, my choice to soak in continual upset conflicted with the instructions within my spirit, to love as Jesus loves, and to forgive as Jesus forgives. It wasn’t the people that wronged me who were weakening, it was me. I was getting pressed down and burdened with the exhaustion of being mad. Praise God He didn’t allow me to stay there.
As God showed me more of Him through His Son, I began to trust more in His total provision. His provision to care for me not just in the day to day, but also in matters of the heart, whether well or in hurt. I had to trust that as God was growing me, He would also grow those I once was mad at. Which meant giving people and circumstances over to God. Plus, in a willing heart and spirit praying for them to live, be loved, be healed, blessed and grown up in Christ. Hard but necessary. Because I believe in the Savior of the world, not a Savior just over me. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you,” (2 Peter 1:2a); leave the heavy lifting of social discipline and correction of those who harm you to the Creator of all things. It doesn’t mean not speaking up over what is wrong, though let God show you reconciliation or release over revenge.
Let me encourage you to give God your hurt, your upset and anger, because He knows best how to resolve it within yourself, and work in the lives of those who may have hurt you. God will not allow your to pain to prevail if you want to be freed from it, for His promise is life in abundance. Evil will not prosper over you as you remain in light, for where there is light the darkness will not comprehend and will flee (John 1:5). It is time to let it go.
But the Lord is with me as a mighty awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper… (Jeremiah 20:11 NKJV).
