Loving the Ones Who Hurt You

The person who is living by grace sees this vast contrast between his own sins against God and the offenses of others against him. He forgives others because he himself has been so graciously forgiven. He realizes that, by receiving God's forgiveness through Christ, he has forfeited the right to be offended when others hurt him.  Jerry Bridges

One of the absolutes in life is that one day someone is going to hurt you.  It may be intentional or not, but the bottom line is it will happen.  We are all human with human failings and we will one day be the recipient of hurt or the giver of hurt.  No one is exempt.  If Jesus wasn’t exempt, why should we be the exception?

Have you ever thought that how we handle hurt in our life can make a difference in another person’s life as to whether they will be saved or not?  How we handle hurt can also increase the chances of the other person sinning against us again, or sinning against another person.

Rick Warren says it best when he said, “Hurt people, hurt people.” When we are hurt our immediate reaction is to hurt back.  Our first instinct is to protect ourselves.  We don’t look at the other person when they hurt us and say, “Man that felt good, would you do that again.” 

If I retaliate against someone who hurts me, I have fallen into sin and I am no better than the person who is hurting me.  One of the things I have started doing to remind myself of another person’s hurt when they are in the midst of hurting me is I look at their forehead and see the printed word “HURT” stamped on it.  It brings to mind that this person is human and may have hurts that I don’t even know about. 

You may be saying at this point, “This person has abused me, ridiculed me, verbally lashed out at me and done any number of other horrible things to me.” If our example to follow is Jesus then we are required to do what He did when He hung on a cross.  Our suffering does not excuse the abuser.  In Romans 12:19 we are told Who will avenge the hurt we receive.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. If we are told to be a “living sacrifice” we are to be like Jesus.  He was our sacrifice so that we could be restored into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.  Don’t repay hurt with hurt. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I have hurt others and others have hurt me.  I want to love as Jesus loved.  He hung on a cross and looked up at You and asked you to forgive them because they didn’t understand what they were doing. I am so grateful that You created a son that would be an example for us to follow.  If I hurt another person because they hurt me, I am not becoming more like Jesus.  Give me the strength to not repay hurt for hurt.

        

Scripture: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:1-21