As 2010 Draws to a Close

If you are like me you have been hurt by other people but like me you have to admit you are guilty of having hurt some as well. Both these things happened to me this year. The pain and the shame set me back. As we end this year I think it would be good for us to consider what God tells us through Jesus about how we must handle both situations. 

In Matthew 23-24 Jesus tells us: 
"This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.

Jesus is telling us that if we go before the Father and lay our petitions down before Him and do not consider those who have something against us then our prayers are not heard.

Then in Matthew 18: 15-17 Jesus tells us:
"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love.

Here Jesus is telling us if a fellow believer of His hurts us we must go to them and share what we feel they have done. 

In both of these situations Jesus is talking to believers about believers. But He also has something to say about what we should do when we are hurt no matter who has caused the situation. We find that in Matthew 14-15:
 "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

No matter who it is that has hurt us we must make the effort to forgive them. If we don’t our attitude and our actions will be controlled by what they have done to us. It will hinder our development of healthy relationships and keep us from receiving God’s forgiveness for what we have done.

So as this year ends take the time to consider who it is that has hurt you and forgive them. Consider whom it is you have hurt and go to them and seek their forgiveness. Either way release the hurt to God and allow Jesus to comfort the pain that was caused.