Let it go ...

I am always amazed how long we can hold onto grudges and the wrongs we believe someone has done to us. I regularly hear from people how they "just can't get past" what someone did to them in the past. Sometimes it happened recently and other times it happened many years ago. But by not letting it go and moving on the wrong still seems fresh to the person. It is only fresh because they continue to feed it and nurture the hurt. If they would let it go and move on the hurt would begin to lessen and seem a lot further in the past.

I realize that some who are reading this are arguing with me in your mind and saying that I just don't understand what happened to you and that I have probably never had anyone hurt me, speak poorly of me, take advantage of me or lie about me. Well you are right and wrong in your assumptions. You are right in the fact that I likely don't know what hurt you have endured and you are wrong in thinking I have never had any of these things happen to me. Trust me, Pastors are not immune to any of this stuff.

We have all been hurt by friends, loved ones and others. Jesus faced this one big time and yet he let it go and moved on. In fact he let it go by forgiving the person who hurt him, including those who crucified him. What I have learned is that it is just not worth it. It is not worth the time it takes from my life to hold on to and nurture any hurts others have inflicted on me. It is not worth the pain that continues when I won't let go the hurt. It is not worth the harm I cause for those closest to me when I am holding on to the hurts from the past and can be what I need to be for them because my mind and heart is focused on the hurt. It is not worth the separation in my relationship with Christ that caused when I let the hurt get between us. It is not worth it.

So let it go. It is not easy, but it is worth it. Ask the Lord to help you with this process. Ask a loved one or good friend to help you by listening and holding you accountable to let it go. Forgive them, whether you have asked for it or not and whether they deserve it or not. None of us deserved for Christ to forgive us and die in our place, but he did it and tells us to do the same for others. Pray for, not against, the one who hurt you. I find it impossible to be bitter toward those for whom I am praying. Enjoy the freedom that comes from releasing the hurt and moving on.