It never feels good to be on the receiving end of hurtful words, and conversely it feels even worse to me to be the responsible party for hurting someone else. Even when my intentions are pure and hurling insult is the farthest thing from my mind, it is devastating to learn I’ve been misunderstood or my actions mistaken for something other than what I wished them to be.
I often times find myself in a world where I am misinterpreted, people are cruel, and relationships are difficult to maintain. This is human nature I suppose, but the worst part always seems to follow. It’s the aftermath of confrontation that truly wounds me.
When I am hurt by another I have a tendency to hang on to that pain, and somehow in my mind the emotions of it all multiply into more of an issue than ever truly existed.
When I fall short in my own interactions with others I definitely hold on tight to my mistakes. I ruminate on my inadequacies, and I beat myself up worse than any enemy could do.
I hang on to hurt, and I hold on until it holds me under. For some reason I let it needle into my brain, and the worry of an unpleasant situation pushes me under while a spirit of repression tries sneakily to drown me in the tumultuous waters of this life.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
When I hold on to worry or when I hold on to hurt I wonder what I’m really holding on to? Am I holding on to my trust in The Lord or am I holding on to an unrealistic desire to please man?
And while it’s great to learn from mistakes I make in my human relationships I cannot grow and move forward in Christ if I am holding on to instances where I failed. I have to let go of where I fall short and give that over to God. No one can learn with their head under water, but rather they must rise above the waves of hurt, rejection, and disappointment.
People will hurt me, they will disappoint me, and they will misunderstand me. I will hurt others, I will fail at times, and I might even fall flat on my face. But my reaction after hurt, betrayal, or mistakes made is what matters most. I cannot hold on to what doesn’t go right, but I can hold on to God’s promises for my life.
I will not please everyone, I shouldn’t try, and I most definitely cannot allow disappointment to rule in my heart when I do not. If my life, words, and actions reflect highly upon my Creator then I am on the right path, and though I may not see it, one day I will be rewarded for a steadfast walk. A walk that aims to please God, not man.
Relationships are wonderful, and we were made for such, but failure in the realm of human interaction cannot control me. I cannot allow it to hold me under and prevent me from moving forward in the life God has for me.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
The world gives me anxiety, but my God gives me peace. Satan would have me drown in my worry over pleasing everyone I encounter, as if holding on to mistakes I’ve made or rejection I’ve experienced can help me in any way. But The Lord wishes to mold me through these interactions, grow me, and refine me. And then He wants me to let go and move forward in peace.