When my career was just beginning I worked for a man who taught me a valuable lesson that I have remembered through the decades. He told me that when I got angry with someone that I should sit down and write them a letter and detail everything I ever wanted to tell them in scorching terms and vivid detail . . . And then he told me I should tear it up.
The only time I’ve ever regretted that advice was when I didn’t tear the angry letter up and went ahead and sent it anyway. So the other day someone wrote me and belittled the Jesus Alliance. He could have made his point in a positive way and possibly even volunteered to work with us to correct the problems that he perceived, or at the very least picked up the phone and called and asked about things, but he didn’t, instead he chose to simply ridicule something that we had worked very hard to develop and that he knew very little about.
Grrrrrr . . .So I responded by writing an angry letter and, (you guessed it), I ignored the sage advice proffered by my old boss over four decades ago and mailed it. So one might ask what I accomplished with this letter. I temporarily felt good about telling him what I thought of his careless remarks and getting it “off my chest”, but then he got angry at me as evidenced by his terse response. So after reading it, I’m angrier at him than I was beforehand and was mulling my next move this morning. Back “in the day” I would have challenged this guy to a duel with fists, knives, guns, or clubs, but I’m not living back “in the day” anymore and now I belong to Christ.
. . . and then I thought that perhaps our greatest accomplishment with this episode has been that Jesus is disappointed in both of us.
Gulp . . .
So I know in my heart that this guy’s precious pride will prevent him from making any overture towards mending bridges with me, so I guess that task will be left to yours truly. It is difficult to “eat crow” and apologize for what one feels is “righteously” reacting to what we perceive as someone’s bad behavior, but at the end of the day crow doesn’t taste all that bad. I will apologize, forgive, forget, and move on . . .
“Love your enemy; Do good to those who hate you” – “Turn your cheek” – “Don’t avenge yourself” – “Don’t be glad when your enemy stumbles” – “If your enemy is hungry, feed him – if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” – “Pray for those who abuse you”
What is this strange doctrine of love that Jesus Christ taught? My flesh burns for revenge, and I want to strike back.
Hmmm . . . I’m no longer living by the flesh now am I.
Gal. 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
January 6, 2016 – Click here to listen