Keeping count
It often happens that we keep counting all the hurts that we have suffered at the hands of this one or that.
At other times we tell ourselves: “One day or other I am going to burst out and then he/she would have it. How can I keep quiet for so long?” Peter the apostle and disciple of Jesus once asked him how long he should forgive his brother the harm he has done against him.
Perhaps seven times would be enough? Peter thought he was being generous since seven is more than the traditional three but Jesus would tell him not seven times but seventy times seven i.e., any number of times and another version has it that if your brother offends you seven times (in the Bible the number seven stands for wholeness therefore plenty of times!) in a day you should be able to forgive.
If this is true, then where is the point of keeping an account of the harm done by someone. Keeping an account can only harm your health because it will be rankling inside you and unconsciously your mind will be probing for the time and opportunity to take revenge and get even with that individual.
You only will lose the peace of your mind!
You would also find sometimes some individuals who could never be happy unless they have some cause to fight for or some issues to raise; then they are happy; their happiness seems to be only to cause pain to others; their joy is to put others into trouble. How do we deal with such sadists? Are we to suffer in patience or in our turn spend time devising ways and means to defeat their wicked plans? Again this is a useless venture fraught with so much loss of peace. In fact this would be just playing into their hands. They had just wanted to harass you and annoy you and drive peace away from you!
The just man learns to wait in patience. God will show him the way of peace. God is mindful of all his pains and keeps count of his tears: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?” (Psalm 56.8) and book of Revelation says: “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev 7.17; 21.4; also Isaiah 25.8). So it is better for you to overlook the harm or hurt done by others towards you. Leave everything in the hands of God.
Meanwhile pray for such individuals. May be God will give them the Grace of conversion to better ways. God does not wish anyone to be lost but wishes the eternal salvation of all.
This being the case, how could you, if you claim to be close to God, wish evil for anyone; even if this one were to be wishing evil or devising evil against you? So leave all counting to God and walk peacefully on your way.
