A Requirement for Spiritual Growth
An important necessity for improving your life.
Blaming others for what happens to me would keep me at a spiritual standstill.
And let me state up front by what I mean by spiritual here because for many it is a loaded term.
Your spirit, by my definition here. is your inner life.
It is what you think, how you feel, and everything about you that is a mystery to you.
Growing spirituality, therefore, would be to grow in your capacity to think clearly and calmly, as well as to improve your feelings about yourself and your situation.
It also calms you in the area of mysteries, especially those you will never be able to figure out on your own.
Finally, it will deepen your connections with others because most of these are inner workings of the heart.
When I decide to blame others for my misfortunes, I exchange a moment of delusional comfort for longterm spiritual growth and maturity.
It really does not matter who did what to whom.
What matters most is how I decide to respond. After all, that’s all I can control.
In fact over enough time I will likely discover that the good in me was forced to the surface by the suffering I had to endure — especially all that was undeserved.
For proof of this look at the lives of Joseph, Moses, Job, and Jesus.
And these are just a few easy examples.
Everyone who learns the discipline of forgiveness is accepting personal suffering and loss in order to release others from bondage, often caused by their own corrupt decisions and actions.
And why should we, when we are truly victims, decide to forgive?
It is not necessarily in order to reestablish relationships because this might not be wise or possible, but it is to release ourselves from the chronic acid of bitterness.
It is important to understand that bitterness is a form of enslavement and blocks us from spiritual growth.
In this context, forgiveness from truly mean and even evil things is simply saying — as often as necessary — we will strive to release these others from our own judgement and turn all of it over to God — with the ultimate hope that He will restore them to becoming good spiritually themselves.
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?”
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
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? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Like 6:37-42 (ESV)
