If there is anything at all the world has failed to do, then that is to easily forgive and forget. It is undoubtedly clear that the sole purpose of Christ’s establishing a church, is for its members to always forgive one another. Of course, God first forgave us of our sins and He had to even die on the cross just to save us from sin and condemnation. Who are we not to forgive our brethren? Unforgiveness is a serious ‘defect’ haunting many people. Unforgiveness has led people to be in bitterness, develop hatred, become rude and arrogant. Not forgetting selfishness and ingratitude! Not to be too judgmental, but after analyzing the lives of people who appear to be rude, arrogant and jealous, as perceived by the society, I sometimes try to give a different thought; at least not to see them as the society does. After reading a lot on addictions, and being well versed with behavioral ‘addictions,’ I thought these people who are so arrogant, jealous, in bitterness and full of hatred, do all their ‘stuff’ as a result of compulsion. I thought I could consider these acts shown by these people to be somethings done out of compulsion, but no! Far from that. There is more into these. Those who show signs of jealousy, hatred, bitterness and many other unforgiving acts are better than those who hide, and under pretense ‘claim’ all is okay.
A story is told of a man who has the habit of constantly comparing himself and his life with others. This guy feels happy when he is better than someone else, but feels sad and even depressed when he feels other people’s lives are better than his. This man had to delete himself from social media because it would give him anxiety and cause him to get slightly depressed when someone posts something great in their life, such as a nice vacation or a happy family photo. These posts normally made the man begin to compare everything in his life, such as his job, his wife, and even children. This man confessed that he has been feeling so jealous that he had to constantly remind himself of what he is grateful for in order for the jealous emotions to leave his thoughts. This man has been ‘haunted’ by his jealousy, he had to seek for help. After seeking for help, this is what the ‘consultant’ had to say,
“It is good that you want to change this part of yourself. If left unchecked, envy and jealousy can eat away at you and be a constant source of anxiety. The basic root sin here seems to be vanity. You are putting more emphasis on the opinion of others than on God. The root of this is insecurity. You think that the good qualities of others will somehow tear you down. You already have the solution to your problem: cultivate a spirit of gratitude. You probably already have a lot more than most people in the world, if you give it a moment’s thought. You are probably living in relative security and comfort, not worried about your next meal.
After reflecting on the response to this man’s problem of jealousy and envy, “cultivate a spirit of gratitude,” as said by the consultant, touched me so hard.
It is true, life is hard, it is not easy to forgive, as some will say, but permit me to tell you that it is very easy to forgive. It is very easy to love, it is very easy to do away with bitterness, it is very easy to be free from depression. The secret is, cultivate a spirit of gratitude. Yes, you may be very experienced with all the knowledge in an area, but when you humble yourself and cultivate the spirit of gratitude by accepting other’s opinions, you won’t have to do any comparisons which come with depression, jealousy, bitterness and many hurtful emotions.
Unforgiveness and ingratitude have turned some people into serious ‘unrepented monsters.’ These people will never show gratitude to what their ‘enemies’ do.
Beloved, our health is important. Say no to depression. Enough of the starvation. Let us come out from that ‘prison’ and let the light of God radiate through us. Say no to depression, say no to jealousy, say no to hatred.
SAY YES TO GRATITUDE
Remember the purpose of Christ’s church: for us to forgive one another. In the house of God, there is no hatred, there no unnecessary comparisons, there is no jealous, there shouldn’t be any bitterness.
Be grateful at all times.
If you are not grateful, you will be a great fool.
Enjoy the rest of the day.