Grudges

While in Sunday School yesterday we were expanding on the fourth step of the twelve steps to take a moral inventory of yourself. While it is a hard thing to do, sometimes we need to do it, to grow closer to God and see things that we may need to try and change: like I need to work on worrying so much, or holding grudges with people who are long out of my life. Holding grudges was one of the popular things that we all think we need to work on. Everyone holds grudges for one reason or another; and sometimes we hold a grudge with someone who no longer lives.

What is the point of holding grudges? Why do we think that holding a grudge is at all helpful to us? What we think grudges do is hurt the other person, but in reality all it does is hurt us instead. We need to try and forgive the people who hurt us like Jesus did: which I talked about last week. I hold grudges, we all do.

I hold a grudge against my ex for how he treated me, there is a grudge against the man who raped me, an ex who abused me, one who cheated on me. What good does holding those grudges do for me? Nothing. And holding grudges yourself does nothing. It's not helpful at all. God wants us to forgive those who hurt us or cause us pain in any way. It's a hard thing to do, sometimes even harder to imagine doing. Some ask how could you forgive a man who rapes, but I have. I've forgiven my exes and others who have hurt me. When we let go of past hurts and grudges we see the light in those painful moments and see a way to help others through and possibly guide them closer to God because of that hurt.

God doesn't allow things to happen for no reason. He wouldn't allow someone to hurt us or cause us pain for no reason. There is always a reason for things: a learning experience, a possibility to grow closer to Him through the pain.