Sucking On Poison

My dad fought in World War II in Europe. Like many who have fought and witnessed the brutalities that war brings, he never mentioned anything about his experiences when he came home. My brother and I knew nothing about what our dad experienced until we read, just a few years ago, the letters he wrote to our mother. He was lonely, and was moved to tears, I believe, because of the terrible things which affected him directly. He mentioned how the Germans brutally killed of some of his men who were also close friends. In several of his letters he told how much he hated Hitler, the German soldiers, and the German people in general. He told about three of his men who were under fire, and when they knew they could not escape they surrendered only to be taken by their captors and unmercifully killed.

How do you think that would affect a young man? My dad and many other soldiers returned home with these horrible pictures firmly etched in their minds. The only sense of justice they had was that the Germans had been defeated. But on a personal level justice was never satisfied. Watching your friends killed and not being able to help them or save them left guilt, hate and bitterness, which I’m sure remained in the hearts of many of these soldiers until the day they died. It is no wonder that men and women who have fought in fierce battles are silent about sharing their war stories.

Guilt, hate and bitterness which are never dealt with become destructive forces within an individual. If this is something that you are hanging onto because someone hurt you very badly you need to deal with it immediately. I’ve been in that very situation because I was hurt badly and unfairly by a group of people a little over thirty years ago. I was overcome by bitterness. Someone described bitterness as sipping slowly on poison with the intent to destroy those who hurt you. We all know who will be destroyed. Finally I made things right with some of the people who hurt me. Only one apologized to me. I forgave him, and I forgave the others. Some of those people had already died, but still I have forgiven them.  It is only through forgiveness that can we be released from the destructive effects of that poison.

Just as God has forgiven us, we must forgive others. You may say,  “I can never forgive the person who hurt me.” You are right, you cannot truly forgive others. But you are able to forgive them by the power of God’s Spirit who is in you if you belong to Jesus. The choice is ours, either we ask Jesus to help us forgive, or we keep sucking on that poison.