“Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
As I read a post from a friend about her daddy bringing her coffee, I recalled my father’s love for the drink. That, of course, made me think about His many quotes and statements. How many times I’ve heard him quote to me as a youth, “Two wrongs don’t make a right”. The phrase simply means that it is never right to wrong someone, even if they have wronged you first.
From school yards to church pews, we’ve all had occasions to be wronged. When we’re little it could be a parent or teacher or schoolmate that we feel rejected by. We aren’t always the darlings of the rodeo, the first picked or the blue ribbon winners. We hold those little offenses in our hearts and keep them tucked away. The wall starts to be built that we think will keep us safe. Later on, it’s more mature things like relationships, fellowships and friendships in work in marriage in life. More rejection happens which breeds more offenses, whether it’s intentional or not. A higher wall is built to keep ourselves a little safer. We attend church and we want to fit in, but everyone doesn’t. Square pegs trying to fit in round holes causes more hurts when the fit won’t work. The preacher gives a message on sin and we think he points his finger right at us. Someone rejects you. Friends quit you. Spouses quit loving you. You can fill in the blank with your own hurts and anguish.
Pretty soon we’re full of offenses and the wall is all the way around us. Trouble is that wall that was keeping you safe has now fenced you in. You are now a captive of your own circumstances. What will you do? How will you live? Are you content to live in the shadow of your hurts, fears and isolationism?
God speaks to our hearts: I know every hurt you have ever experienced. I know every person who ever rejected you for anything. I knew you before you were born and you were never meant to build a wall around yourself. I knew what would happen, but I had a plan. I AM the plan. If you will let me, I will remove the wall you have so carefully build and you will see that the view is not about your hurts but rather about My plans. The shortsighted life you are now living will only continue to hurt and hide you. You may be out in public but the wall of offense will keep you from truly shining My light. You will never know real freedom until you let Me set you free.
Oh beloved, whatever it is that has held you captive in hurt, rejection, offense and fear you can let it go! In fact, you cannot hold onto the Father and hold onto those things at the same time. Whatever someone else has done, the Father will take care of you. His abilities are not shortened by others’ hands. In fact, even in the pain there is God’s plan for you. Jesus is with you now to help you remove the shackles and live in His liberty. He came to ransom you from everything that holds you back. As deep as the hurts are, let Him remove them today. That wall you built is no longer going to hold you prisoner. You will no longer walk in hurts but you will walk in forgiveness. You are an overcomer, a valiant child of God and the Light He shines on you will now be shining through you as you live in the Light of His Word. There may still be pain and hurts that come your way, but God can handle them for you. Walking in freedom means you give those hurts to Christ and He removes them. You cannot change the past by holding onto it. But you can change your future by letting the walls crumble around you. What a view of victory, love, joy and peace are yours as you let God do what only He can do.
God loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth living free all the days of your life! As you reconcile yourself to God’s will, as you let Christ set you free and as you let the Holy Spirit do His work in you and for you, you will see it all work out for your good and God’s glory.
Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free. NLT
I Peter 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]… Amplified
2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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