Hennie Symington

Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

When those close to us, go through difficult times, we are fond of saying: "This too shall pass."The truth is that change is always waiting in the wings. Like a coin with two sides, life has a way of changing. Good seasons of external blessing do not last forever in this life. Neither do bad times.

When you've been hurt by someone you love and trust, you might become angry, sad or confused. However, if you allow yourself to dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility can take root. If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. Holding a grudge keeps you from enjoying any new relationship that may come your way.

Yet for many of us, forgetting and forgiveness do not come easily. We are not strangers to the pain and suffering we see around us. In our own lives we burden ourselves with grudges, keeping alive the heartache, the humiliations and discord that punctuated our lives as if it happened yesterday. Let it go, the Bible says.

What are the effects of holding a grudge? If you're unforgiving, you bring anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience and become so wrapped so up in resentment that you cannot enjoy the present. Accept that being human means taking the bad with the good while trusting in God that all will be well. And all manner of things will be well.

Prayer:Oh Lord, when my life is punctuated by anger and grudges, free me from those things in the past that steal my joy in the present. Amen