FREE TO BE ME (Part 1)

[Dr. Kay]

RESENTMENT

"If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Matthew 6:14

QUESTION: Do we always forgive those who hurt us whether or not they ask for it? Do we feel that we have a right to resent them?

Most people will agree that being ourselves is the path that leads to a meaningful life. But we cannot be ourselves if there is resentment in our lives. Resentment blocks now-meaningful relationships. It acts as a wall between men and men and between men and God. Because resentment is so destructive in people's lives, it is called a "cancer of the soul." It not only limits our effectiveness in life, but it becomes a temptation to those around us because the natural response to resentment is resentment. If others resent us, we feel rejected and that make us want to resent them.

REJECTING AND BEING REJECTED

Some of us have been rejected (or think we have) since early childhod. This causes anger and fear. We then say things and do things that we would never say or do if we did not have this cancer in our soul. It is so easy to resent what others say or do and just reject them. We feel we have some kind of right to resent and reject those around us simply because we have been hurt by someone who, probably, had previously been hurt by someone else. It goes on and on, with each person responding to the other's resentment until someone decides to forgive. The irony is that when we are resentful, we hurt ourselves most of all! We always reap what we sow