1 John 2:9-11
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
Our relationship with the brothers and sisters in the Lord is indicative of our relationship with God. We cannot say that we are walking in the light of the Lord yet hate our brothers; if we hate our brothers, it means we are living in the darkness and we need to first be delivered by the Lord. Our hearts can only be delivered when we overcome sin, not through rational analysis. Rational analysis only works on other people and it's useless when applied to our own issues. We can't rely on will power either, because will power may help you to hold back your temper, but won't help you to forgive and accept others from the heart. If you want to be delivered, there's no use to struggle, seek revenge or explain by your own might, because the only way to be delivered is to come before God and place yourself on His hands. We can only see the pitiful state of our inner darkness when the Holy Spirit shines into us and reveal to us how much we really need the Lord's forgiveness and mercy. The more we see our need for the Lord's forgiveness and acceptance, the less we will care about how others have forsaken us and it becomes easier for us to reconcile with others.
Years ago I was serving together with a brother at church. He was straight-shooter, and slowly it started to bother me. One time I was conducting the choir, and he commented that I looked like a monkey doing circus tricks. I was really mad at him, and since then whenever he started talking I was agitated. The worst part was that he didn't know I was mad at him! Gradually I didn't feel like going to the choir or serving in any other capacity. Then, I came across the biblical passage about loving and forgiving one another, as if the Lord was rebuking me. Finally, one day I broken down in tears and repented before God and ask the Lord to rule my life again, because I just couldn't love that brother. I realized that I was weaker than I thought, and I asked the Lord to forgive me for my arrogance and pride. God revealed to me that I really cared about myself more than anything, so I had to keep on coming before God and ask the Spirit of God to help me to overcome the bondage inside. Eventually, I was able to accept the brother.
Brothers and sisters, if you want to be delivered, the only way is to turn back to God and put yourself in God's hands. He is a glorious deliverer and He can deliver you today!
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