"I
was wrong" is the hardest sentence in the English language to say. Due to
perceived, as well as legitimate wounds in our past, we are afraid to admit
that we have faults.
We think
that we have to be perfect in order to be loved; and that we must earn the
love, which we need, by making other people happy and proud of us.
We fear
rejection so much that we will make excuses or lie to cover up our faults and
mistakes. We wear masks so that people do not know who we really are.
If we
admit that we did something inappropriate, we may fall into the black hole of
condemnation and shame, which nips at our toes and plots ways to swallow us
whole.
If we agree
that we are wrong, we will topple over the edge of the dark abyss of shame, and
we will be trapped, hopeless, useless and totally rejected forever.
In order
to escape the bottomless pit of shame, we either do our best to become
invisible, or fight tooth and nail to retain some semblance of order in our
life, or hide behind a wall of pride and arrogance.
Bullies
are motivated from their fear and insecurity. They surround themselves with
controllable people who have qualities, which they feel they lack. When they
hurt others, they feel powerful and in control of at least one part of their
life.
Once we
come to Christ for forgiveness, He exposes Satan's lies and frees us from the
evil task master of shame. Then we no longer experience the devil's
condemnation (Romans 8:1).
If we could
be perfect, Christ would not have suffered that horrendous crucifixion. Through
His sacrifice, we enter His rest and are able to breathe unhindered by stress,
fear and insecurities.
If one
person abandons us, or turns against us, we have a whole family of Believers
who will love us for who we are, even with all of our faults, insecurities and
over-reactions (Ephesians 4:32).
Prayer:
Father
God, often another person's wounds expose our wounds and weaknesses, and we
fear rejection. Therefore, we walk away from them, before they get a chance to
reject us. We dispose of them from our life, rather than working out our issues
together.
Help us to
look deeper, beneath the surface of a person's words and actions, to see the
real person, which they are hiding behind their false facade. Remind us to show
mercy and grace to everyone, and not to reject someone just because they are
wounded.
Thought
for the Day:
Make
allowances for one another's faults and idiosyncrasies; so, that if someone
offends you, you can forgive them time and time again, as you help to strengthen
them to feel secure through God's love within you.
- Matthew 18:21-22;
Colossians 3:13
