We all know the golden rule “do unto others as we would have them do unto us”. None of us like to be treated badly and there is an ever present urge to repay those who wrong us. Yet we are encouraged in Scripture to do the opposite. We all must make the effort to douse out the fire of revenge.
Harness the Power of Forgiveness
In the context of singleness some of us are single because of failed relationships and if we are honest some of them did not end well. We had to deal with trauma, heartache and rejection and somehow people expect us to just pick up the pieces and move on. It even becomes more complex because we figure that since God is in control certain things should not happen in our lives.
Left on the ashes of our losses we have to contend with the process of rebuilding our mental and emotional health. We have to learn to harness the power of forgiveness and draw spiritual strength from the Lord to gain the courage we need to move forward with our lives. We must cultivate the discipline needed to completely pour our souls out to God until we can let people, pain and our pasts go. If we do not make the effort to do this we may find ourselves engaging in emotional sabotage. We can sabotage ourselves and future relationships because we may start believing that we no longer deserve love or develop extreme trust issues. We can also move forward with a tough exterior subconsciously holding others hostage for every wrong they commit and exaggerating future incidences we have with others.
Bitterness or Wisdom
It is virtually impossible for us to walk away from our experiences without carrying any baggage. However we decide what we pack for our journeys. We will be left with our memories but we control how we interpret them. We can load ourselves up bitterness or wisdom, we can allow them to shut people out or we can allow them to make us more pliable.
The Lens of Scripture
Ultimately we cannot treat others the way we would want to be treated unless we strive for wholeness. We can only become whole when we see ourselves through the lens of Scripture and perceive God’s vision for our lives. In turn we must also frame our minds and fashion our lives after what is reflected in the word of God.
As an Executive Coach, Ms. Nicole G. McLeary empowers visionaries, leaders and managers to create sustainable, Christ-centred, prayer-driven visions that put them in the ‘driver’s seat’ of their personal and professional lives so they can maximize their potential. Minister McLeary is a published author of three books, has training courses as well as several other writing projects in process. She remains focused and dedicated to her Christian walk and ministry and continues to grow in her relationship with her Lord and Master.
