Have you ever looked (or talked) down upon someone who disappointed you? How did you feel when someone mistreated you?
The hard reality is that others can affect our thoughts and hearts. Or we “allow others” to affect us, don’t we?
The hurt can turn into deep disappointment and bitterness if we’re not careful. And before we know it, our heart begins to harden.
Can you imagine Jesus saying to the marginalized, hurt and persecuted, “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44 NLT)
I know it can be tough to pray for those who hurt us. I don’t think Jesus is suggesting prayer, I believe He’s commanding us to pray for those who have hurt us, whatever that looks like.
Loving and praying for someone who hurt or mistreated us doesn’t excuse what happened. For me, it has turned hurt into hope, bitterness into bold prayer.
At New Hope Mānoa, my prayer is for all of us to cultivate mānoa relationships — deep, solid, life-giving connections with God and with one another. But mānoa relationships don’t grow in shallow soil. They grow in hearts tilled by God’s aloha and grace. Let’s not allow the seeds of hurt and bitterness to take root and grow in our hearts. We can uproot these before they turn into weeds that ruin our lives and relationships.
Is there someone Jesus is calling you to give grace to rather than hold a grudge against? To love, pray for and forgive?
