September 9, 2018

Let It Go

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. – Ephesians 4:30-31

She is a pleasant woman. She smiles brightly but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She says all the right things but there’s an underlying bite to her words. Her life doesn’t quite match the façade she tries to keep up.

Her mother died a few years ago. It was awful. A medicine used to treat one ailment caused another and she didn’t survive. Now this daughter is consumed with rage at God. Bitterness dots her every move. She refuses all suggestions for grief counseling. Anger and unhappiness are destroying her life.

This is not what her mother would have wanted. I knew her well enough to know her deep faith in God was unshakeable. She would be horrified that her daughter remains so angry at God for taking her home. Her heart would be broken as she watched the daughter she loved shove everyone away.

This woman’s anger and bitterness is extreme. Most of us will thankfully never reach that point. It doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes let anger and bitterness direct our steps. You don’t think it applies to you? Think again. Every time you want to retaliate against someone, whether it’s another driver who cut you off in traffic or a co-worker who stole your idea, you are letting evil emotions control your actions.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to do good to those who would harm us. I know. It’s easy to say but not so easy to do. It’s hard to swallow the rebuttal that rises up when someone harms us. It’s difficult to show mercy when someone has done something awful to us.

How much more so when we think God is the culprit? How sad that the One who can heal and sustain us is the One who bears the brunt of our heartache. This sweet woman – who was indeed a sweet soul before her mother’s death – needs Jesus to heal her. But she won’t let Him in.

What about you? Do you let Jesus come close to you? Do you share with Him the parts of you that hurt the most? Do you tell Him your disappointments? Do you let Him heal you from the inside out?

He knows about betrayal. He knows about bearing the cost of the sins of others. He knows about lies and greed and a heartache that goes deep into your soul. He gets it. We forget that sometimes.

I don’t know what will happen to this woman.  She is self-destructing before the eyes of those who love her most. No one can force her to get help. No one can make her let go of her rage and bitterness. Jesus is the only One who can heal her and she won’t let Him.

What do you need Jesus to heal you from today? Don’t wait. Don’t give Satan that foothold on your heart. Hand it over to the One who loves you most. Let it go and move on.