Skip to main content

Ask and You Shall Receive...

Wow! I was praying tonight because there is a certain someone that I find rather difficult to deal with. I was feeling angry because of past dealings with this person and I seem to carry a grudge more than I realized. After reading an e-mail reply from this person - in regular correspondence, it wasn't anything negative or hateful - I seemed to add my own negative undertone to the words and I felt upset. How ridiculous is that?!

I asked God to direct me in His Word to the scripture I needed in this situation and He certainly did! He directed me to 1 Kings Chapter 8 and I was reading Solomon's plea to God...he gave God all the glory for the temple that he had built but he went on to pray for forgiveness. Not only for him, but for all who turned to the temple Solomon had built. He asked God to know their hearts and forgive them when they repented. The scripture that stuck was this:
“Forgive your people no matter how much they have sinned against you…”
I Kings 8:50 (CEV)
God forgives ME when I do this - why can't I forgive this person? He has apologized to me for the "biggest" of the past offenses. I just seem to judge him - one thing that I absolutely despise! - and assume that it wasn't "the real thing". I really want to be in Scripture this week so that God might show me how to get past this ridiculous cloud of judgement.
My goal is to see this person on Sunday and feel relieved to know that they are where God put them and that God can use me ONLY when I am not letting this get in the way. I will do this through prayer, time in God's Word and...hmm...I'm not sure what else.
If you have a tip that will help me to reach my goal, please post a comment. I would love help from others who have dealt with similar situations and been blessed by someone who they thought at one time was "difficult". As I have never really been mentored, I am blessed by the new, godly women-friends I have met here - as well as their suggestions.
May God bless you and use you this week!

Comments

Traci @ The Bakery said…
I have the same problem with a person at my church and this verse helped me in a great way...
1 Corin. 11:19
But, of course there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are right will be recognized!

I quit stressing when I read this....I knew that I was following Christ and I was doing what was right in God's eyes.
I learned to be polite and smile. I also told God that if this person did anything directly to me or my children, I would confront her....that was almost 4 years ago! You know, I haven't had to confront her. I hear stories of her hurting other families and until they choose to stand up for themselves...there is nothing that will be done.
I meet at least ONE family a month that won't come to our church BECAUSE of HER.....it is such a shame.
Actually, she almost goes out of her way to try to be nice to me now....I just remain POLITE and smile. :)
September 8, 2008 at 7:46 AM
Unknown said…
Traci - we had someone like that in our old church. It really is shame...I'm going to add I Corinthians 11:19 to my prayer and bible time. I am sure it will help - thank you so much! :o) I have requested a meeting with this person to be able to work out our issues because he is in a position to be a HUGE blessing and I don't want any issue I might have to hinder him in any way. Hubby and I are going to meet with him and his wife and get everything worked out so that God can continue to use both of us for His glory! :o) I am hopeful that it will go smoothly and we will both be blessed by being open, honest, and by acting as Christ-like as we can.

Thank you for your kind words...
September 8, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On the Brink of More Change...

I can feel it. I am on the cusp of something new. Something different. Something beautiful. I still have no idea what God might be up to - and I am truly okay with that at the moment. I have completed another round of Freedom in Christ. God spoke to me in so many ways...and He continues to do so. I feel so very valued and treasured by my Father. I am in relationship with Him in ways that I always wanted - yet never really felt were achievable. As I have put forth the effort to come to Him more consistently and with a growing desire to go deeper, He has been unendingly gracious and faithful. So as I fall on my face, He gently leans in and scoops me up. The panic and anxiety that once ruled my life are far less, and the calm amidst the  chaos has grown exponentially. I know where to go when it begins to grow again...and it does. Sometimes. Yet God is always ready when I call on Him...and that in and of itself are a learning curve for me. I've learned that others are not constant. Sh...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Have Returned to the Land of the Living...

I promise that I'm around and making it here! It's been pretty crazy what with starting school and becoming a leader in our homeschool support group. (In my defense, I didn't realize that was what I was doing. I thought I was going to coordinate the holiday parties...turns out when you only have one active officer, said officer reserves the right to make you a leader in that group. Hmm. The things you learn. :) School is going okay...or should I be more specific? Social studies, Language Arts and Science are going okay...mathematics? Not so great. We have determined that Hooked on Math is NOT a good match for my child. He gets SO frustrated he winds up in tears within seconds of the MENTION of "Hooked on Math". (While I must admit that a portion of this is due to his processing issues and I want him to learn to be more flexible, I NEVER want him to be THIS stressed out. Therefore we are searching for a new math program/curriculum. I am very interested in Math-U-Se...
4 comments
Read more

Keeping My Eyes Fixed In the Storms of Life

On September 20th, my father-in-law collapsed at home. My mother-in-law called 9-1-1 and emergency crews arrived within a few minutes. During that time, he stopped breathing and had no heartbeat. Emergency crews were able to revive him, and he was transported to a local heart hospital. The next two weeks were nothing short of torturous. In order to stop potential brain damage, he underwent a procedure that chilled his core body temperature almost 10 degrees and then after 24 hours, warmed him to normal body temp. Doctors were unsure if he would awake. However, after 12 days on the ventilator, when it was removed, it was like someone flipped a switch. He simply woke up. Even the doctors were amazed. Still groggy from the medications used during that time, he remembers nothing from that time, until about 5 days later, shortly before he had his pacemaker installed. Twenty-two days after his "cardiac event", he was released from the hospital. Still quite weak, he continues to g...
Post a Comment
Read more