Isaiah 43: 18-19 « “Do not remember the former things, nor
consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring
forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and
rivers in the desert. »
Jeremiah 30: 17 « For I
will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because
they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; no one seeks her.” »
2 Corinthians 5: 17
« Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new. »
At some point in
our lives, we've all experienced situations that have had a major impact on our
personality and our way of thinking. These changes can be positive, in the
sense that they enable us to grow and improve ourselves. But they can also be
negative, bringing all kinds of bad feelings into our hearts that impact our
relationships with others. These negative experiences often lead to defensive
barriers being erected: some isolate themselves, others become cruel so as not
to be preyed upon and thus take the place of their tormentors, some try to
drown their pain in all sorts of addictions, etc. The Bible's clear message is
to guard our hearts, and when they're broken, they can change us for better or
for worse.
Proverbs
4 : 23 « Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the
issues of life.»
But how can we
keep our hearts from being damaged by bad experiences without having to isolate
ourselves?
1.
Forgive over and
over again
Grudges are one of the greatest evils that
undermine our mental stability and inner peace. The grudge-holder's heart harks
back to the past and becomes its hostage. Time passes, but it doesn't move
forward. It stays stuck in the past and you can't enjoy the present. Grudge,
being a persistent feeling, can often lead to a desire for revenge. Indeed, we
tend to believe that punishing the other will bring some consolation. But evil
can never bring peace. Evil cannot beget good. We may be able to harm the other
person through our actions, but our hearts will certainly be more
affected.
The remedy to this trap is forgiveness. By
forgiving with all our heart, we can turn the page and concentrate on the
present with a light heart, at peace with ourselves.
Matthew 6 : 14-15 « For
if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.»
2. Seeing God in your neighbor
Whoever loves God, should be able to love
others too; for we have all been created in God's image. So loving others is a
demonstration of our love for God. And the power of this love will certainly
drive us to always forgive like God does, to be good to others, whether they
have hurt us or not. In this way, resentment is
replaced by a desire to help the other person grow, to improve as a person.
1 Corinthians 13 :
4-8 « Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not
parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its
own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but
rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they
will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is
knowledge, it will vanish away. »
3. Keep the fire of the Holy Spirit alive in your heart.
Being in constant communion with the Holy
Spirit enables us to keep our hearts pure and produce the fruits of the Spirit,
which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and
self-control (Galatians 5:22). Moreover, the Holy Spirit, by being in communion
with Him, helps us to see beyond the bad deed, to see the evil spirit that led
the person to commit it, and to understand its purpose.
Matthew 16 : 23 « But
He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are [j]an offense to
Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. »
