Resentment: Dethroning Jesus

Sometimes I “sugar-coat.”  Other times… not so much. 

Today is a “not so much” day.

Resentment is a choice.  It hurts no one more than it hurts us.  And when we resent someone we usurp Christ.  We attempt to dethrone Him and reign in His place as Judge.

Watch…

re- : again

sent :  to cause to be carried to a destination; especially : to consign to death or a place of punishment

-ment : action : process <development> b : place of a (specified) action

When we choose to continue in resentment we are not just holding on to something, we are doing something.

We are choosing to again act to consign to death or a place of punishment. 

Resentment then is to say, “once was not enough”… “I will execute a sentence of death and punishment again.”

First of all… you have not right, for Jesus alone will judge.

Second… you forget that the place of a specified action included you.

When we resent someone we are actually returning to that place over, and over, and over again.

And it is a place of pain.  It is a place where we were hurt.  Or where we hurt someone.

The only way out of resentment is to forgive.

Forgive : to go back to before

When we go back to before that place, we can move forward in love. 

Resentment prevents moving forward because it just keeps us in an endless loop.  It is like a re-run of a really horrible episode of a terrible sitcom that is playing 24-7 and we are sitting there with the remote, but not changing the channel.

When we believe… we act according to our confession. 

Rather than trying to take the throne of Christ and acting as though we can consign people to death or a place of punishment (resentment), why don’t we forgive and act as though Jesus is Lord and has died for sinners, of whom (insert your name here) am chief!

Choose “betterness” over “bitterness.”

Lord,

That we would cease to go back to those places of pain over and over again…  That we would cease to consign ourselves and others to a sentence of death and place of punishment…  That we would forgive and be free from all of this… so that we can move forward with You.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

SDG