Give Up Your Grudge

Grudge – a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury

If we are honest with ourself, we have probably all held a grudge against someone. At some point in life, someone harmed you, did you wrong and you held a grudge or may still me holding a grudge. It is part of life.

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31 – 32

• Bitterness – anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment
• Wrath – extreme anger
• Anger – a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility
• Clamour – make a vehement protest or demand
• Evil speaking -profoundly immoral and malevolent speaking of another person
• Malice – the intention or desire to do evil; ill will

God covers everything a grudge can be in vs. 31. He takes a grudge and breaks it down into different stages and tells us to put it away, to get rid of it. If you let the grudge just consume your life, you will get to the point of malice where you desire to do evil. We can’t let that grudge grow into that! Whatever stage your grudge is in, give it up! Your grudge towards someone isn’t effecting them in anyway, they may not even know about your grudge or they may not even care. Your grudge will hurt you in the long run!

Give up your grudge and be kind! Learn to forgive, learn to move on. It isn’t always easy but it is always better. I am sure it wasn’t easy for Christ to forgive us, yet He forgives us on a daily basis even though we sin on a daily basis. Christ doesn’t hold a grudge against us even though He has every right to. He is kind, He is forgiving, He is tenderhearted and He loves each and every one of us.

We are to be like Christ. Be like Christ in being grudge-less. Learn how to forgive. Learn to be kind. Learn to love.