Tuesday, December 16, 2014

What is Wrong?

(Dr. Charles Stanley:  Anger and Forgiveness, part 4)

Matthew 5:21-24:  "'You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'

"'But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

"'If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.'"


"A wrong doer is often a person that has left something undone, not always that he has done something." - Marcus Aurelius

Some of us have felt so wronged for so long that it is hard to even imagine ourselves on the other end of the pointed stick.

We are so conditioned to the "victim's role" we have a hard time recognising our own aggression.  But many of us play both roles, whether actively or passively, directly or indirectly. 

We all have apologies to make.

Because we have chronically thought of ourselves as being owed rather than owing apologies, we are not very skillful at asking for forgiveness.  The simple words, 'I'm sorry.  I was wrong.' don't come easily.

More than others, we may tend to justify our wrongs because of all the wrongs that have been done to us. 

But it is essential to recovery that we learn to take responsibility when we have hurt others.  By promptly and honestly admitting our mistakes, we exercise healthy humility and knock down another barrier between ourselves and the rest of humanity.


Withheld apologies are unpaid debts.  Paying our debts is not a matter of weakness -- it is a clear-cut matter of responsibility.  It is good to keep short accounts of wrongs done to us (as well as those we do to others).  Right now is a perfect time to look back and see if there is someone you need to forgive and mend a relationship with.

(If you would like to work through a special devotional focused on Forgiveness, you can find one I wrote for WeakDay Devotions in Kindle format ON THIS LINK.)

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