“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13, NIV).
Malachy McCourt once said, “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Sadly, people who harbor grudges fail to recognize how much stress they bring upon themselves. The fact is that grudges punish the grudge bearer far more than the one who deserves the punishment.
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” 1 Corinthians 4:8-9, TLB).
I remember my first yo-yo. It was a vintage red Duncan Butterfly. I would spend hours practicing with my friends. I wasn’t very good but I did learn a few tricks, such as Rock the Cradle, Walk the Dog, and Around the World.
“Don’t long for “the good old days,” for you don’t know whether they were any better than these!” (Ecclesiastes 7:10, TLB).
Several years ago, I had a conversation with an elderly member of my congregation. I asked, “Do you miss the good, old days? I’m talking days without the hustle and hurry of life. Days when neighbors knew and cared about one another. Days when life was simpler.”
“Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42, CEB).
One of Aesop’s fables tells of a boy who was bathing in a river:
A boy bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned. He
called out to a passing traveler for help, but instead of holding
out a helping hand, the man stood by unconcernedly, and scolded
the boy for his imprudence. “Oh, sir!” cried the youth, “pray
help me now and scold me afterwards.”
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV).
I am not prone to omphalophobia (the fear of belly buttons). I don’t give them much thought. However, I am a bit of an ophidiophobe. I don’t care much for snakes.
Several years ago, I had a close encounter with a Timber Rattlesnake while trimming the grass around a fence. I felt a tap against my boot. I didn’t see anything initially as I looked toward the ground. Upon closer inspection, I spotted the baby serpent slithering away. Apparently, he or she was not pleased to make my acquaintance. The feeling was mutual.
“Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets” (Hebrews 13:16, MSG).
Life isn’t fair. Just ask the employee who is laid off from work after faithfully serving the same company for thirty-two years or the widow who loses her husband’s pension due to a Ponzi scheme. The sooner we learn this lesson in life the better prepared we will be.