Leviticus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
We’re all familiar with drug-free zones. Designated areas, usually close to schools, where the distribution or possession of controlled substances warrants a greater fine than in other places. They serve to protect vulnerable children. I’ve recently been thinking about another kind of “substance” we need to guard against: grudges. Holding grudges can prove to be as destructive as crack cocaine.
If you are part of the human race, you—or someone you love—has been the brunt of another’s insensitivity, irresponsibility, or downright meanness. We can’t go through life in a fallen world without our share of bruises, especially in a culture saturated with offenses. Words people speak offend us; symbols people use offend us; we’re offended by the past, the present and the future. We’re offended when someone picks on our kids; when someone misinterprets our intentions; when someone opposes our causes. We live in an atmosphere ripe for nurturing grudges.
Don’t be deceived into thinking you can follow the Lord with integrity while carrying the insatiable drive for revenge. If you don’t deal with the pangs of resentment, those grudges will keep festering until you find yourself locked into a world of isolation. Jesus shows us a better way.
In calling us to forgive our enemies, (Matthew 5:44), he reinforces the command given in Leviticus. “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Rather than feeding grudges that eventually turn into hate, we’re to choose love. Even if we can’t see the “justice” in forgiving, we do it because the Lord requires it. That should be enough motivation to help us get over ourselves. But sometimes it isn’t.
Because that’s what grudges do. They keep us absorbed on ourselves rather than on the God who refuses to hold a grudge toward us. When we focus on the bigger picture of God’s love and purpose, his Spirit lifts us out of the sludge of self-importance.
Grudges destroy friendships, families and churches. Perhaps even nations. Let’s choose to let go of offenses and trust God to deal with the injustices we encounter. How about committing to make our hearts grudge-free zones?