The High Cost Of Getting Even

In all the world there is nothing quite like the Grizzly Bear. This huge, long clawed carnivore can grow to a height of 9 feet and weigh as much as 1500 pounds. Unlike most other bears, it is fiercely aggressive and will not tolerate the presence of humans. During the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, these brave men knew no greater fear than the sound of a Grizzly moving through the under brush. The Grizzly's skull was thick enough to deflect a 50 caliber lead ball. Moving at a speed of up to 35 miles per hour, a Grizzly could kill, even after having been shot through the heart.

Dale Carnegie wrote about his first encounter with the Grizzly: it was at Yellowstone Park. As the tourists watched the night fall, the grizzlies crept out of the woods to eat. Carnegie was impressed by the fact that only one animal ate with the Grizzly; the lowly skunk.

The bear could have easily killed the skunk with one swipe of his mighty paw. And yet, he did not. Why? Because the bear understood what Dr. S. I. Mcmillen calls, "The high cost of getting even."

In the book None Of These Diseases, Dr. McMillen relates, "One day a man came into my office with his fourteen-year-old boy. The father said, 'I only came to get some more pills for my wife's colitis.' Immediately the youngster asked, 'Well, Dad, who has Ma been colliding with now?'"

There are many physiological reasons we should want to forgive. Doctors tell us that illnesses can be triggered or greatly aggravated by an unforgiving spirit.

The news is full of reports about terrible problems present in our society because of people retaliating for real or imagined slights by others.

When all of these facts are considered we should not be asking must I forgive? Instead, we should be asking how can I forgive?

When we are having trouble forgiving others we must first recognize that it is God's will that we forgive others. The Bible teaches that we will not be forgiven by God if we do not forgive (Matthew 18:35).

When we find it difficult to forgive others, we should always remember that all of us have sinned against God and our fellow man (Romans 3:23). God has forgiven us of far more than anyone has ever done to us.

My sin sent Christ to the Cross (Isaiah 53; 2Cor. 5:22). If the Lord could pray for the forgiveness of those who crucified him, then we should pray for the forgiveness of those who trespass against us.
© David E. Parks August 31, 1998
dave@wcofc.org
last updated Friday, March 30, 2007 12:00 PM

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