Resentment versus Contentment

 

“Thus saith the LORD, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight,’ saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Reaction to wrongs 

When someone does something bad to someone you love, what do you do next? When you see something wrong through the media outlet you use, how do you react?

The Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah saw something going on around him that made him mad. In his eyes, it was bad behavior, and he thought it was wrong. God was laying on Obadiah’s heart a burden that may have started as a prayer. It quickly became like a fire that was consuming Obadiah.

The words of a prophet

As he prayed, God gave Obadiah a message, words to say to anyone who would listen. Obadiah wrote it down and today we can read it, a short sermon of 21 verses in the Old Testament, located between Amos and Jonah.

Obadiah saw an invading nation take over the country of Israel. The invaders took the Israelites out of their homeland, leaving the country in ruins.

Looting by neighbors

This is not what made Obadiah’s blood boil. What upset him was what happened next. Looters came into the vacant country, taking everything in sight. They were from the country of Edom, adjacent to Israel.

They seemed gleeful, rejoicing over Israel’s downfall. They helped the invaders by capturing some Israelites as they were trying to flee, giving the invaders those they had captured.

Not just neighbors but family

The Edomites and the Israelites were not just neighbors. They were kinfolk. As Obadiah preached his message, God was making it crystal clear He did not like the attitude or behavior of the Edomites.

Family Feud

The story goes back to two twin brothers, Jacob (Israel) and Esau (Edom). Esau came out of their mother’s womb first, and Jacob followed a few minutes later.

Esau’s birthright 

Since Esau was older, he would be getting two prizes: the birthright and blessing. The birthright gave the eldest son a larger share of the inheritance than those born after him. The blessing was a verbal treasure the father passed on to his oldest son before he passed away. It was asking God to give this oldest son vitality, health, and fertility. Esau thought he was set for life.

Jacob’s deception

As Jacob was growing up, he developed a desire to get what he considered the important things in life. His determination helped him get what he wanted. Jacob managed to secure for himself both the birthright and the blessing, leaving Esau to fend for himself.

This created hostility between the brothers. To escape Esau’s fury, Jacob fled, staying away for many years. Jacob hoped Esau would forget about it and with the passing of time, forgive him.

The Homecoming

Then came the day Jacob came home. He did not avoid seeing his brother Esau. Instead, he openly sought to reconcile with him.

Jacob humbled himself in his communication with Esau in anticipation of their meeting. He also humbled himself before God. On the night before Jacob would be seeing Esau, he spent the night praying. Jacob understood he could not have reconciliation with Esau without God’s help.

Forgiveness

God answered Jacob’s prayer. The result was Esau forgave his brother Jacob the next day. It was good Esau brought with him 400 men. He needed them to take back home Jacob’s gifts: 220 goats, 220 sheep, 30 camels and 30 donkeys (Genesis 32:14-15).

Nursing a Grudge

Although all went well on the day of their reconciliation, it seems Esau eventually forgot about Jacob’s gifts. Instead, he concentrated on nursing his memory of what Jacob had done to him. His grudge grew and inflamed his mind like an untreated wound.

Results of resentment

The result was what Obadiah saw. Esau had become the small nation of Edom. Long after Esau was dead and gone, his descendants still remembered the inequity. Still resentful, when Israel was invaded and overthrown, Edom rejoiced, delighted to see Israel’s downfall.

Carrying resentment or releasing it

What do you do with resentment in your heart? Do you let it fester and become bigger than life? Or do you choose to look at whatever good you can find, releasing the resentment and letting God carry your burden?

When you see something bad going on, whose side do you take? The side of the aggressor? “Yea! Great going!” Or do you favor the oppressed? “Let me see what I can do to give hope to the helpless.” If the aggressor becomes oppressed, do you shout for joy? “Hooray, they had it coming to them!” Or do you humble yourself before God, realizing you could become the oppressed? “I am not worthy of the least of your favors” (Genesis 32:10)

Ask God for Direction

May we ask God for His direction when we see something wrong. It may be He will use us as instruments of peace instead of agents of discord. The learning process to make this happen is developing a relationship with the Lord. When we get to know Him, He helps us know what He values. Then He nurtures in us those same values, helping us to shine like lights in the world.

 

Shirley Logsdon