Return a blessing for a curse and watch how the Lord will enlarge your heart.
Telling on myself:
At one point early in my faith walk, the Lord brought a challenging person into my life. She had a true disdain for me and told me so, yet, because of our circumstances, was going to be a part of my life for a very long time. I tried everything to win her over. In that process, I experienced fatigue, hurt and myriad heart wrenching and soul twisting wounds.
Eventually, I consulted my own spiritual mentor who quickly cut through the mess I was making of myself. “Have you prayed blessing for her, Cheryl?” Blessing? I was trying to bless this woman. Why would I pray blessing for a woman who wanted to hurt me? But even my question revealed the cantankerous pride in my own heart.
And so, my weakness revealed, I began to pray God would pour His blessing out upon this woman’s life. And how the love that began to pour into my own heart for her! Over the years God gave me opportunities to bless in other very tangible ways.
What at first felt like a very heavy cloak of the enemy that I had to carry for years, later felt as light as a feather and I eagerly embraced the task, in the hopes that someday, the love of the Father might reach her.
Sadly, our relationship never became what I hoped, but neither did my heart ever become what I feared. Instead, God was glorified in my weakness, my heart was protected from my weakness and another person, viewed as the enemy, received blessing for a curse in spite of my weakness.
Coaching Challenge:
Who has offended you?
Are you carrying the offense in your heart or the cloak in your hand, right now?
Pray the Lord’s blessing upon this person’s life. And watch Him enlarge your own heart to be able to love more than is truly humanly possible.
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21