The Grudge

DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE GRUDGE

Gen 27:39-41

39 His father Isaac answered him,

"Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. 40 You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck." 41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

NIV

Now we see the effects of this envy and jealously which first manifested itself in bitterness and weeping because of his discontentment with his lot in life. We saw all that before and now we see all this culminate into a grudge with its central focus of committing murder. It is interesting how Esau had a love and respect for his father that he would withhold any action against his brother until his father was dead. Esau would carry all the anger and hatred for Jacob hidden deep within him until the time after his father was gone. This is indeed a grudge that would last a long time. We will see later in this narrative about this family of Isaac and Rebekah how fractured they truly were. But for now we need to focus on this deep seeded grudge of Esau. Surely we would not need a lesson on grudges as this is something we would never allow to invade our thinking. However do we ever have a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury? Do we ever feel disgruntlement, bad feeling or hard feeling? Are we ever being resentfully unwilling to give, grant or allow something? Do we ever feel aggrieved about, be resentful of, mind or object to, take exception to? This are all definitions of grudge either as a noun or a verb. Have we ever experienced any of these? Certainly not to the point of plotting murder. However, have we ever wanted to get even with someone who hurt us or caused us harm in some way? This kind of thinking, this form of a grudge can do more harm to our own being, physically, emotionally and spiritually than anything we could ever do in retaliation to the other person. A grudge, a long lasting resentment will evidentially destroy us from within. It will steal our joy, our peace, and our love. It will rub out our kindness and gentleness. It will overshadow our goodness and our patience. It will kill our self-control. A grudge in any form will in effect quench the Spirit.

1 Thess 5:12-22

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

NIV

There it is, everything we need to know about how to avoid allowing those feelings that lead to the grudge. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire. Give thanks in all circumstances. If Esau would have given thanks for his circumstances the whole of history regarding these two brothers would have been different. But he would not have been eaten up inside with his grudge. If he would have lived in peace with his brother, Jacob would not have had to run for his life. This family could have solved all there problems if they only would have done the right thing, respecting, regarding each other with the highest regard, living in peace, encouraging each other, helping each other, being patient and making sure no wrong was paid back with wrong. Had they been kind to each, been joyful always and prayed continually, giving thanks in all circumstances, they would have been a great family. This is certainly the way we should be living. Let us shake off any resemblance of what would be considered a grudge and let the fire of the Spirit burn brightly within us.