Do you find yourself prone to resentment against people? Theoretically there should be a distinction between resenting a person and taking issue with their actions; but in practice, it seems we tend to resent the person for their actions. Perhaps as we identify individuals by associating them with their behaviors, we subsequently pass on our feelings concerning those behaviors to the people behind them. There are two issues in this thought process that require attention: hypocrisy of judgement, and misattribution of value.
There is a fine line between critiquing for encouragement and judging for condemnation. Sometimes we seek to end an inconvenience imposed upon us; other times a more straightforwardly self-righteous pride pushes us to presumptuous correction. Christ warns us against such tendencies in Matthew 7:1-5 – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” All of us are equally in need of the Holy Spirit to overcome our sin; when we fail to acknowledge this, any addressal of error inevitably falls short.
Yet more important than the impact or consistency of our reproof is the underlying motive of our resentment. Remember that the sinful action is sourced from a sinful heart; the true sin is the devaluing of the person. Judgement restrained internally is no less destructive than that expressed, due to the damage it does to the spirit; the grudge becomes a hindrance to our Great Commission, being antithetical to love. How can we share Christ’s love with those around us if we stifle it within ourselves? If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. (1 Corinthians 13:1) When we feel affronted by the sin of others, we must remember the sin we once bore, and how Christ redeemed us in mercy and forgiveness; thereby we prepare ourselves to exemplify that mercy and forgiveness unto others.
We must be careful not to confuse the resentment of sin with the resentment of sinners. Every person is loved by God in infinite degree, regardless of their acknowledgement thereof. The evil presently harbored within our hearts is abhorrent to God, but our souls are precious to Him, and He has promised to redeem those who repent and submit to His Grace. By its nature, man’s sin is against God before it is against anyone else; by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we must work to grow out of our natural self-righteousness and become sanctified to His love.
Be forgiving. TTT