Roots Growin' Deep

4 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. Hebrews 12

Peace with everyone. What an interesting and novel concept. The Scripture doesn't say that we will always have peace with everyone, but that we should endeavor (strive) to have it. In this over-sensitive world that we are living in, it doesn't take much to offend someone. It's a sure bet that I'm offending somebody, just by breathing or taking up space on the planet. I've thought about this a good bit recently -- maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I figured out at some point that I can't please everyone. That bothers me, but now I'm getting too tired to care. I love ya. See ya, bye.

But that root of bitterness. It is a vacuum that sucks the world dry. We all have it, to some degree. Some people have it more than others. I've known people who have had the most terrible things happen to them, but they are walking, talking pictures of grace. Then others, who have no apparent reason to be angry, are smoldering, seething wraiths, poisoning the very air in the room. They are leeches, draining the blood from the people they influence. Bitterness defiles many. It takes a kind, innocent person and reminds them of all they should be angry about. Things that they never noticed or cared to take offense at get put under a microscope of human injury. Suddenly they become large and ruinous. No wonder the Bible tells us not to go with an angry man....because we become like him, in time.

I've written before about my Mama and how God freed her from her torture chamber of bitterness that she had towards her own mother. I saw that up close and personal, with God giving her the grace to forgive her mother. It transformed our family from the inside out. I saw the power of forgiveness, not just in her relationship with her mother, but in her newfound ability to ask us to forgive her when she had done something wrong. There is nothing as beautiful as a person admitting that they were at fault, and then humbly asking forgiveness. This is the heart of the gospel, too. The point where a person recognizes that they cannot save themselves, that they are beyond rescuing...and then admitting their sinfulness and their inability to be perfect. Then asking God for forgiveness and throwing themselves at His feet. It's opposite world, where what we naturally would do, we don't do. The arm of God scoops us up in His redeeming grace and gives us a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone.

I know now that there are some people that I cannot make peace with, no matter how hard I try. There's not enough energy in the world to fill some vacuums and I am not strong enough to force someone to love or accept this gal. But this I can do...I remember long ago, a teacher told me to make a list of things that had been done to me that were wrong or evil. Then make a list of what I had done to hurt other people. I was admonished to forgive those that hurt me, to lay them at the cross, and then to go to the people I had hurt and ask forgiveness. It took a while for me to remember myself. As I began to make difficult calls and visits to those I had offended, a joy and peace came over me that I had never experienced before. That's the Holy Spirit and the grace of God right there, and not of this world. 

It is easy to let time and busyness steamroll over me (and us), easy to quit noticing the deeper things that really matter. I think it's time to make a new list and catch up with my devil self again. Pull away from things that don't matter. Add back stuff that does. Ask forgiveness. Grant forgiveness. Throw myself on the Savior. Yep....