Last night (Sunday) my bride and I attended eXchange at Maryland Community Church in Terre Haute. While I was pastoring a church in Terre Haute our oldest daughter and I used to attend eXchange on Sunday evenings. It was a lifeline to me. After giving each week, it was nice to be able to go elsewhere and worship. I am finding that same refuge again when we are able to make our way there. We generally see some old friends (like last night) but the real value is the worship and teaching. Unless, of course, Scot teaches on something that is disturbing. Take last night, for example. Scot is teaching a series called Red in which he is looking at the teachings of Jesus (written in Red). Last night he talked about Revenge. I am not, by nature, a vengeful person. Competitive, yes. (although not as much). But vengeful? I can honestly say I never saw myself that way. So it would have been easy for me to write Scot off last night and slumber through his teaching in anticipation of the worship that was to follow. But Scot couldn’t leave well enough alone and leave it at speaking in generalities or leaving it in the ballpark of spiteful “I’m going to get even with you” vengeance. He had to get nit-picky and turn it around and angle it differently. Instead of just leaving it in the “big stuff to angry about” he asked a question: how do we deal with difficult people? Not fair!
So I started thinking and that is dangerous. We all have difficult people in our lives. People we work with. People we play with. People we live with (gasp!). People we go to church with (double choke)! We tolerate people we work or play with. It is hard to ignore someone we live with. But what do we do with church people? People we are supposed to love? People we are supposed to get along with? People who seem to see it as their mission in life to make life miserable for others with their caustic tongue or judgmental outlook. Other than having them choke on their own saliva or eat their foot (get it?), what should my reaction be? Well, Scot says I am supposed to love them in a “perfect way” (Mt.5:48). Dang it Scot! Why did you have to go to meddling? Should have just stuck to preaching and we would have been fine. No, make that I would have been fine. But noooooooo you would have to go and stick your big finger in my face, cut me with the Word, and then get this! he wants me to pray for these people. Of all the nerve! Didn’t you just hear that I wanted them to choke on their own saliva or eat their foot? Why in this whole wide world would I want to pray for them? Because that is what Jesus said to do. Oh. You are kidding aren’t you? Do you want the long answer or the short answer to that? Both: Nope. Scot was not kidding and Jesus certainly wasn’t. He wants me to pray for those people. Those who cut. Those who slice and dice. Those who judge. Those who are critical. Those who think it is their “right” to tell everyone else what their faults are (as if they have none but please don’t try to tell them. If you do all you-know-what will break loose). I am to pray for them. Not “Lord, forgive them for what they did to me.” More like, “Lord you know better than I do why he/she says or does what he/she does. In this case, I am hurt. Please help me to forgive and not get bitter. I will leave any “get back” up to You and what You desire.”
The result is freedom. People of extravagant grace can truly understand the saying by Lewis Smedes: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and find out the prisoner was you.” Revenge is sweet in a cycling race, a baseball field, or some athletic event but it certainly reeks havoc on the soul. Be free my friend. Refuse to get even. Oh yeah. Scot? Next time mind your own business. I go to worship and be comfortable not to have my world rocked by your scandalous teaching on grace-filled living. 🙂
Great post Bill…and I forgive you for calling my blog warm and somewhat funny…
As long as you forgive me for editing your posts! 🙂
Revenge only seems natural at times, doesn’t it? I think some of it may come from our times in sports, where when you lose, you want a second chance for revenge (winning)…doesn’t that carry over to our daily life now as adults? How many times do we want to win? Want revenge?
And…to pray for them! Please Scot…I don’t know you, but I think Bill is on to something about your style of preaching!
Sure I will forgive you…just me think about it for awhile. But I do have to agree with you about the athletic/sports connection. I was always highly athletic and competitive so I think that carried over into relationships. Unfortunately.
I emailed Scot so he could read the blog and your comment. Heads up! 🙂
Thanks Bill for getting me in trouble with another preacher! Just what I need to start my week off great!
BTW, what’s he preaching this Sunday night? I might need some time to work on myself before then and your next post!
I don’t know what he is preaching on. If he checks this out then maybe he will tell us. If not, I will try to be kind next week. Sounds like you need to be in trouble with pastors. Keep you in line.
Good Monday to you Bill.
This was a post of great timing. I have been dealing with some new “enemies” recently and since this has been a fairly new experience for me, I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t want to be nice to them because I guess I felt that they would think I must be extremely stupid to still be nice to them after the way they have treated me. Lately, I have felt God remind me that I need to pray for them, so I have tried to do that, but I didn’t really know how to pray for them. I like what you wrote about just telling God that He knows better than I do, but to pray and it will change my heart.
Thanks for the contribution Jim. one of the hardest things to do is to pray for an "enemy" but Jesus said to do it and then practiced it. Hope the post and thoughts help.
Hey Guys,
The bad thing is that the scriptures are beating me up! I'm bruised up before I even start teaching and figure that everybody else could use a good lashing as well :>
Seriously, Sunday was a great night. There is nothing like seeing the scripture break and mold us to be more like Jesus. Hard but good.
Ah man! Not again. I am dealing with this right now- actually not me but through a friend. Long story- I’ll fill you in via email/phone call- but she’s having a hard letting go of past hurts whereas I’m ready to move on and put them behind me and love the people where they are because that’s what I’m commanded to do.
Don’t you just love me?? 🙂
Love you Bill…I hardly know you!
I don’t give up my heart that easily…
🙂
Thanks for the comment Scot. Welcome! Guys, I don't say this about many people but I cannot begin to tell you how much Scot's ministry in eXchange has meant to me over the years. Thanks for reminding us that before we ever get up to speak the Scriptures need to break us first. And yes, Sunday was a great night.
Hey Steve: notice who commented above my "Gotta love me" comment. But all in all, I am a lovable guy. 🙂