December 7, 2011

 

Transliteration: eulogeó
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-log-eh’-o)
Short Definition: I bless
Definition: (lit: I speak well of) I bless; pass: I am blessed.

 

Our Monday verse was:

 

Luke 6:27-28

27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

 

This is a verse that I think benefits us to see more than one root word.  First let’s talk about the word bless.

 

We understand this word when we talk about how God’s blesses us.  He does this on all fronts, emotionally, physically and spiritually.  He blesses us with money, with health, with wisdom and so on.

 

But one thing that stood out to me here is that the word bless also means speak well of.

 

I just recently came out of a serious battle where my credibility and good name was being challenged.  I had done nothing wrong but found myself up against a powerful adversary who was using me to make a point.  It is not a good place to be.

 

After a 2 year battle I lost.  I am just thankful to be past it.  But during that time I cannot say that I spoke well of the person who was persecuting me.  In fact when speaking of the situation I didn’t speak well of him.

 

As I said on Monday we must endeavor to forgive, forget and even pray for those who attack us.  I have moved past and even forgotten.  I asked God to help me see this person through His eyes so that I could acquire compassion for him and therefore pray for him.

 

God did allow me to see some of what I needed to see to be able to see him in a compassionate light.  Do I feel full compassion?  I can’t say that I do, but enough so that I was able to pray for him and move on.

 

I want to be at the place where I can go through a situation like this and still speak well of the person.  However, I don’t want to be in a situation like this again to find out what I will do!!  So I am going to start with the minor infractions of everyday life.

 

I know there are people in my life that challenge me.  People who I want to speak badly about.  I may not do this to the open world, but in my tight circle I do complain about them and discuss their faults.  This is not blessing them.  Sometimes I do need to vent and I do, but the danger in that is that we don’t move on.  We don’t reach a place where we can forget.

 

Now I want to talk just a bit about the word in that verse – mistreat.

 

Transliteration: epéreazó
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ay-reh-ad’-zo)
Short Definition: I insult, treat wrongfully, molest
Definition: I insult, treat wrongfully, molest, revile.

 

Does something in this definition stand out to you?  What about the word molest?  I can see speaking well of someone who insults us or treats us wrongfully, but someone who molests us?

 

It is openly evident that this kind of glorious behavior can only be accomplished by an infusion of power from the Holy Spirit.  In fact it all must be done by the power of the Holy Spirit.  If it is not then the probability stands that we may just be going through the motions. 

 

We ‘make’ ourselves go through the motions of attempting to forgive and forget and then pray for that person.  But was there a heart transformation prior to the forgiveness?  Did you pray for them sincerely from your heart transformation?

 

What is the difference you say?  Healing.  Not for them, but for you.  We can go through the motions on the outside, but still be hurting on the inside.  We might even be able to force ourselves to not speak ill of them, but we are still hurting on the inside.

 

If we start from the inside and ask for healing, the kind of heart healing that produces forgiveness, then we will forgive and forget.  And, when God heals your wounded heart He heals to the degree that you can eventually speak well of the person who wounded you.

 

Going through the motions on the outside without heart healing on the inside just covers a festering wound.  You have no peace, no joy and will continue to suffer.  But receiving healing from the inside out will first give you peace and joy and then that joy will outwardly manifest in forgiveness to others.

 

I don’t want to be in pain and I know you don’t either.  So when I am attacked, I pray that I remember to run as quickly as possible to God, not for retribution, but for heart healing which produces true forgiveness.

 

Will you join me today?  Who has mortally wounded your heart?  Can you, will you give it to God today?

 

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