Instant Replay
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Instant replay can be a wonderful thing when it comes to sports, horse racing, and even funny videos. It can also help solve crimes when reviewing camera footage, looking for specific details or clues. But one area in our lives where hitting replay over and over again can become a major problem is when we are reviewing and replaying in our minds the wrongs that were done to us.
Those types of replays only stir up the emotions, remind us of the hurts, as they hurt us again, and prevent us from moving forward. Sometimes it may have been months since the original hurt, and then a replay happens, and it is as if it just took place.
I found myself in this very situation this week. I thought I had forgiven a friend for her words and actions from a month ago. Then, out of nowhere, a thought crept into my mind, and it was as if the entire scenario played out for me in slow motion. Every little word and detail, and I could feel my emotions rising. The enemy was scheming and waiting for a chance to trip me up, and I fell headfirst into his trap.
But then, today’s passage came to mind, and I knew that although I thought I had forgiven her, I was actually keeping a record of wrongs, and now I was the one hurting myself by replaying them. I could clearly see why God said to let them go.
The bible tells us that God has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west, and He also said, “I will not remember their sins anymore. I will not remember the evil things they have done.” (Jeremiah 31:34)
Imagine how much better our lives would be if we followed His leading. He will deal with the people who use us and persecute us as we follow His command to pray for them. It’s all part of living differently for God, and in doing so, Jesus said we will be blessed.
