Bless 'Em Jesus

Romans 12:14-18 (ESV)  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

As the long wand swirled the brush around the toilet bowl, I was lost in deep thought. The cleaner and water mixing together like a soup being stirred on the stove. I was stewing. Literally on the inside, the audacity of the enemy rising up within me. Not the true enemy of our soul, but a perceived enemy in the form of a person. I began to share my discontent and disappointment regarding this person to the Lord as I would a close friend. Maybe cleanliness is next to godliness because it is a shared time of conversation every time I do it. The wrongness of his doings just bubbled and boiled deep within me now overflowing to my patient and loving Father as if He was unaware. I have prayed for this person. To forgive. To let go. To overcome my feelings of frustration and anger. Each time, I thought I was over it – the real adversary of peace and joy gladly would shove it right back in my face. As my tirade continue, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit audibly – “Who are you to tell me how to bless you?” Shell-shocked into silence, I stopped. I had almost fallen into a carefully laid trap to be bound by the enemy again. Not today satan…

It is hard to overcome our feelings sometimes. To give them in a neat and tidy package with packing tape to God never to be thought, felt or considered again. But life doesn’t work that way and our rebellious thoughts lead us right into such a dungeon. The person who was wrong is still someone God loves and Jesus died for no matter how much I loathe them or downright angry I get. I sit in a form of judgment called bitterness and unforgiveness. It impacts me negatively. Bitterness will block the blessings of God in my life that are meant to come through my enemies. God decides where to bless us, how, when and how much and no human being can block the blessings of God for my life and will in fact become a conduit of such things if I learn to overcome bitterness and hurt altogether. To do so, removes my expectation for that person placing all my expectation in the Lord who can do more than I can think, ask or imagine according to His Word.

Deuteronomy 28:1 (ESV) “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.”

The Lord has clearly instructed me to bless those who curse me. To repay evil with no evil. Be honorable. Live peaceably with all. This means even when they have wronged me. Used me. Spitefully use me. Come on. We all have that person – you thought of them the moment you started reading this. A wall went up. However, in order to live in the blessings of God set forth according to Deuteronomy 28, I must faithfully obey the voice of the Lord my God. I must be diligent in obedience to every command. God has a place higher than wallowing in anger, resentment and unforgiveness. It is a place of blessing, freedom and joy.

Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Wow, that was close. To think I might have allowed the enemy to trick me into stealing my blessing is a true revelation. See I was saying things like “I don’t want a single thing from this person” and “I don’t ever want to see them again” and “they better not come and say sorry or they changed their mind”. Our confession is the declaration over our life. These words will block blessings from the Lord simply because we don’t like the source. Come on. You know exactly what I am talking about. The words of Jesus fill my soul with hope for the filthy wretch like me. His Grace is sufficient to endure the thorn in my flesh. I may walk with a limp but I will get the blessing of God like Jacob did. I must not trip over a bitter root allowed to slowly grow and overtake me. The only thing I sacrifice is my pride. The only thing I surrender is bitterness that I don’t want anyway. I can give up the rightness to forgive the wrongness because God is greater than my feelings and will bless me far more than anyone or anything on the earth. I do not want to forfeit the Grace of God given to me just to hate someone else. Friend, are you stewing over someone today. Let them go. Bless ‘em Jesus! I ask you to heal my heart and fill it love, peace and joy in exchange for bitterness. I invite You to do what only You can do in my life – Lord. I will leave all vengeance (or not) in your capable Sovereign Hands. I want what You have for me nothing more and nothing less. IN JESUS NAME – AMEN AND AMEN!