Ugh.

I don’t like that.

Being the bigger person.

Don’t like being the one to apologize first.

To begin the amends.

To swallow my pride.

To open the floodgates of forgiveness.

Rather have the other person go first.

Makes me feel better.

You?

When my honest selfishness invokes horror upon reading what I wrote, I stop.

I think about what God would want me to do.

1 Peter 3:9 reminds us not to “repay evil with evil or insult with insult.”

That’s pretty clear.

Doesn’t mention being first, but fortunately the verse goes on.

Verse 9 continues, ” On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

I for one want a blessing.

You?

The other side of the coin is this: who do I want to please?

God or Satan?

I’m guessing Satan is pretty darn pleased when I stick my feet in the mud, determining to withhold forgiveness unless asked and pleaded with from the other guilty party.

Know God is pleased when I make the first move.

While it’s fun to feed my flesh, it, in turn, pleases Satan.

Yuck.

Double yuck.

I want to please God.

More than anything, I want to give Him my everything.

That includes forgiving others when they wrong me.

First.

Being the bigger person.

And what if they never ever apologize?

I can move on, because I don’t need it.

All I need is God.

I am responsible for me.

Can’t be responsible for others.

Can’t let others’ sins weigh me down anymore.

As 1 Peter says, “I will be blessed when I repay evil with a blessing.”

Time to make the switch and be the bigger person.

 

Photos by Lina Trochez, Felix Koutchinski, Alvin Mahmudov, & Dương Hữu on Unsplash