The Hurt Feelings Switch

Love is not easily offended…. I have a hurt feelings switch. We all do per my mother and she knows almost everything. I have worked long and hard to make my switch heavy, it is very hard to turn on…so I thought. Before I go into that, let’s look at the verse above from 1 Corinthians 13 it says, “love it not easily offended.” Well what is easy? This of course is relative. Multiplication is easy to a mathematician but to a 5 year old it’s foreign. So we have to look at ourselves, our lives, and our personal growth the things that offended us 10 years ago, 5 years ago even last year should not offend us the same way. Let me define offense. When I am talking about offense here I am referring to one individual intentionally or unintentionally trying to hurt you emotionally.

Okay so back to the hurt feeling switch. Someone flipped my switch and can you believe that, that heavy switch now defies gravity! It seems I can’t force it down. Every time I think about that person and what they said it brings tears to my eyes, I don’t want to flip the switch down. The thing is I know how this person thinks; I know this person said what they said to hurt me because they wanted me to feel as bad as I unintentionally made them feel. I know this person knows they went over the line and I also know they probably won’t apologize but they defiantly don’t hate me. Knowing these things should have made the switch slightly heavier, but it didn’t.
God had to reveal to me the growth in this situation. The growth that He was requiring me to make. What! Me! Did you hear what they said?! Do you know what they did and you want ME to GROW?! Yes God wants us to grow. One day this situation will rise again maybe with a different person or circumstance, but the expectation is for me to not be so quick to flip that switch. To use my understanding not to justify that persons antics, but to maintain my personal discipline and emotional control. The truth of the matter is folks that when we stand before God and He asks us why we didn’t do what He said to do, using the excuse that someone flipped your hurt feelings switch will not be an sufficient answer.

Father,
Help us to be more like you. Continue to shape us and challenge us, show us how to show and receive true love with no strings attached. Make our hurt feelings switch heavier by the day and when we flip that switch father give us grace to bring it back down. We love you and we thank you for daily transformation.
Amen.

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

Yesterday a lady at my job was so rude. She was so irritating so I decided that today I would absolutely ignore her. I mean I didn't even look in her direction. The logic was eventually she would notice, then feel bad, then stop being so mean to me.

Well at the end of the day as I was walking to my car I realized how exhausted I was. The Holy Spirit laid on my heart that holding a grudge is hard work. Crazy thing is you dont even realize how hard you are working until you let it go!

I look at scriptures like the 10 commandments and can easily see how God put those rules in place to protect me, but to see that keeping no record of wrong is for my benefit took this lesson.

This society teaches us so many backward things like, "forgive, don't forget." The bible clearly states 1 Corinthians 13:5 "Love keeps no record of wrongs." All God has called us to do is love. Love our neighbor, our parents, our spouse, our children. If you are keeping a constant tally on what they do then that is not love and it will seep into every area of your life. Causing you to isolate yourself and find more things to put on your list.

You may ask, "How can I stop keeping track when I have done it for so long?" Stop and repent every time for as long as it takes. My husband and I were arguing and he stopped in the middle of the argument and said, "I am so sorry but while we are talking about this I keep thinking of everything else you have done wrong. Can we talk about this and this alone later." That was a hard and honest thing for him to say and sometimes it takes that.

Father,
Thank you for providing us with a blueprint for life. How foolish we are to look to anyone but you for insight and instruction. Thank you for showing us that by letting things go we are not being weak but strong, trusting that you are sovereign and that all things truly work out for our good. We love you Lord.

Shape us, mold us, make us more like you.
Amen