Probably everyone reading this has been stung by a bee before. Well, just a few days ago, as I was working in the backyard one got me…a yellow jacket…on the underneath of my arm. Ouch! Only one got me, but for those next few minutes it was hard to concentrate on anything else.
Know what I mean? Thankfully, I’m not allergic to them, but still I was nursing my wound for a while. By the time I went to bed, it was still irritating me. The next day, it was an annoyance that itched a little. On the second day, I could tell it was there, but only a couple of times. Finally, today I can’t feel it at all. The pain is gone, the itch is gone, the annoyance is gone.
As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of how we deal with being hurt by other people. When someone wrongs you, hurts you, or sins against you, how does it feel? How do you deal with it? How long does the hurt linger?
Hebrews 12:14-15 reads, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
When someone hurts us, we should seek for it to be like a bee sting. It may hurt initially, but within a short period of time, the pain should leave and eventually it should stop bothering us all together. This happens best when we speak openly and honestly with the person who has hurt us, and we resolve the issue (Matthew 18).
I realize there are some pains out there that are harsher than others. But let’s be honest, how often do we let a little hurt go a long way? If we hold on to these things, they become a bitter root that grows and affects too much of our daily life.
I see too many relationships today being hurt by what I would call little things. Sure, they hurt a lot at first in that moment, but in the big picture, how big of an issue is it? Unfortunately, too many of our marriages, friendships, etc. are letting bitter roots grow and choke out the love that should be growing.
I’m over my bee sting, just a few days later. What kind of stings are you holding on to that you need to let go of? Why not start today?
