ridding our hearts of hostility

“Stop touching me!” “You touched me first!” “I said, ‘Stop!'” “You’re mean!” “Mooooommmmmmm!”

Those conversations between my kids madden me. Literally. Like I feel slight physical twitches on my face and my eyes get the crazy look. I usually chime in with some pollyannaish words of wisdom, “People, people, we miss God’s blessing when we’re so angry with one another. You’ll ruin your relationship with that kind of attitude. Think good things about each other. Pray for each other.”

Granted that’s all good, Relationship 101 truth but I usually get the eye roll.

 

 

But if I’m truly honest with myself, I roll my own proverbial eyes when God confronts me with hostile places in my heart. At least at first. Because somewhere deep down we want God (or our mama) to validate and empathize with our frustrations. We want Him to smote the other guy and look at us like, “You poor thang. You deserve so much better.” But ultimately it’s me — my heart — that decides whether or not hostility takes up residence.

When we linger on offenses done to us — past or present — bitterness will inevitably result. And when bitterness takes root, it births hostility in spirit. And hostility does not reflect my Lord.

The One I follow was reviled but didn’t revile. (1 Peter 2:23) Not because He was some whimpy door-mat who couldn’t stand up for Himself. No. He didn’t revile in return because He didn’t need to! He didn’t have to! His identity and peace came directly from His perfect relationship with the Father. Period. No hostility necessary.

I don’t want to have a hostile heart. I can’t have one. It suffocates my soul. So there’s only one thing I know to do when God reveals places of hostility harbored within me. I go to the One who tears down hostile walls. I go to Jesus.

 

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Ephesians 2:14-16

 

In that above text, Paul is talking about Jews and Gentiles — tearing down the hostility between them and unifying them in Christ. But hostility in nations comes from hostility in individual hearts. Wars happen, not country against country but hostile heart against hostile heart.

And Jesus kills hostility.

The challenge for you and me in this day (and every moment hereafter when hostility wants to define us)? Ask for the wisdom to rightly interpret our heart, and then confess any hostility He reveals. We confess and Jesus invades. We humble ourselves low and He lifts our spirit high. We press into Him and He releases freedom in us. It’s a scandalous exchange. My mess for His beauty. My chains for His peace.

Even when people keep “touching us.” Stop touching me!

 
Fill me, Lord…

How have you seen “hostility of heart” steal from you or someone you love?
 

I’m linking up with the HelloMornings blog with others who are going through the Glorious Grace study. Click here to head over and read their insights from the text this week.