How to handle Hate and Hurt. Romans 12:14
There once was a man named Leonard Holt. He was an old fashion “company man”. He was the kind of man who worked at the same Pennsylvania paper mill for 19 years as a lab technician. When we wasn’t at the mill you could often find him volunteering in his local community and serving. He was leading a boy scout group and even volunteering as a local firefighter. When he wasn’t doing that he was spending time with his kids.
Leonard was a consistent member of his local church and an all around model citizen, when people did notice Leonard they saw him as the very embodiment of a model citizen. Everyone in town admired Leonard - until one day - when Leonard took 2 pistols and stuffed them into his coat pocket, drove to the mill and walked through the plant gunning down long standing friends and coworkers.
Before the attack had fully run its course Leonard Holt had fired 30 deadly bullets and left a number of casualties in his wake.
The whole community was shocked. How could this man, this church leader, scout master, their loyal community member do such a horrible act? This was the question on everyone’s mind. As investigators began to look deeper into Leonard’s life they began to notice a pattern. Beneath all the smiles, the hard work and the volunteerism there lived a demon and its name was resentment. You see - in his nineteen years at the mill Leonard would watch as others would get promoted beyond him. Time after time he would be passed over until finally he couldn’t take it anymore. Nobody really seemed to pay much attention to Leonard’s feelings about that - now many of those same friends and coworkers lay in the local cemetery.
You see Leonard was just another face in the crowd to most people - a face that showed up in front of the world when the New York Times published the article and underneath Leonard’s face they wrote, “Responsible, Respectable, Resentful.”
Can I tell you something?
Resentment is the tool you use to turn hurt into hate.
Romans 12:14-16a says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another…”
What an incredible command from scripture! How can we possibly this this out? When I first read this it sounds nice but I hardly find myself able to truly uphold this command. How can I possibly “bless those who persecute you” When someone persecutes me I want to respond with bitterness and resentment!
The secret lies in what you’re filled with, because what is in you will come out of you. Don’t miss this - it is not the circumstances which determine my reaction, but my inner life that determines my response. Therefore, if you are filled with resentment when life shakes you up what do you expect to come out? Resentment. If your life is full of anger and life shakes you up what will come out? Anger. Yet it you’re full of joy and life shakes you up what will come out? Joy. If you’re full of peace, peace.
You aren’t “made resentful” by the circumstance, the circumstance just shows what’s already inside you by bringing it out. If you want to be a blessing you need to be filled with blessing. If you want to pour out love you need to be filled with love.
I’ve come to the realization that when I am faced with unspeakable hurt I have two choices. I can choose to resent or I can choose to forgive.
Resentment will always take your hurt and transform it into hate. Forgiveness will take your hurt and transform it into freedom.
I believe God wants to take the hurt and the hate you and I experience and transform it into hope and help.
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1. Read Romans 12:14-16 and Luke 23:34. What stands out to you in these passages? What is the thing God is showing you that you struggle with the most?
2. How can you apply this lesson this week? Is there anyone you need to forgive?
