The silent grudge

Monday 9 August 2021

The silent grudge

"He who is slow to anger is better than a hero, and he who is master of himself, than he who takes cities." Proverbs 16. 32

Grudge is dangerous because it can eat away at you in silence, gradually replacing apparent kindness with animosity. Even if you deny its hold on you, it will suddenly explode one day, destroying the confidence of those who thought they knew you so well. It will break through under attempted manipulation, peddling gossip, or even breach of trust. At worst, pent-up grudges can explode into verbal violence, physical or sexual abuse, or lead to murder! Grudge hurts the wearer more because it affects your entire perception of the outside world and fills you with bitterness towards those around you. As it swells within you, you gradually lose your joy and begin to view all the experiences in your life as only worthy of contempt, instead of being filled with gratitude. She can hide behind years of smiles and laughter, still racking up her grievances against the person you share your table and bed with. An event, twenty years old, will make her emerge from the silence, we will speak of inevitable separation due to irreconcilable differences of opinion, and soon it will be divorce. Two things can provide a solution:

1. Communication between human beings.

The elder brother of the prodigal son harbored a silent grudge for years, but showed nothing until his younger brother came home (Luke 15). The father's response to the older son's anger was : "If only you had told me how you felt, and what you needed... for I am always here for you" (v. 31).

2. Forgiveness.

Listen : “As Christ forgave you, so forgive” (Colossians 3:13). Forgiveness isn't just about freeing the other, it's about freeing yourself too, and allowing you to love life again !

Source (His Word for Today)