FORGIVE AND FORGET

Ecclesiastes 7:19-22

¹⁹ Wisdom makes the wise man more effective than ten rulers who are in a city. ²⁰ Because there is not a righteous man in the land who does good and never sins. ²¹ Do not take to heart all the things that people say, otherwise you might overhear your servant cursing you. ²² Because your heart remembers that many times you have yourself cursed others.

things that people say

One of the keys to healthy and productive relationships is revealed here. It fits both the work environment and marriage and the family as well. Sometimes people say the wrong thing, and reveal the wrong attitude. You have a choice of dwelling on what they say, or mentally stepping back and trying to get a handle on why they really said it. The more you live in the anger and injustice of what they said, the more destructive it will be for the relationship.

Solomon’s advice is very hard to follow – especially when you feel abused and harmed by someone’s words or attitude. But the wise person chooses not to take those harmful words to heart. Forgive, because we all do stupid things. Remember the last time you said or did something stupid?

LORD, help us to develop the skill of letting hurtful words go. Show us how to forgive and forget.