…pass over a transgression. – Proverbs 19:11
This verse has been on my heart so much recently. We all experience two things in the Christian life. We will hurt and be hurt. Whether done intentionally or unintentionally, it is part of our Christian lives. In reference to hurting others, it is crucial that we put our words through the filter of God’s Word and be careful not to hurt another Christian with our words. If we do hurt a brother or a sister unintentionally, we need to go to that person and mend that hurt. We cannot just say, “Well, I didn’t mean to. They need to stop being so sensitive.” That attitude does not create unity in our church families.
In reference to being hurt, God gives a clear plan of action: Pass over a transgression. This is easier said than done! Sometimes words and actions can cut us so deeply, and we just want to hold on to that hurt. When we do, we let it grow to become anger and then bitterness, but the Lord says in Proverbs 19:11, …it is his glory to pass over a transgression. It is in our best interest to let go and to move forward. We do not need to make that person our best friend. The offender does not need to be our favorite person, but in order to move forward, we must pass over that transgression.
Think of a runner trying to reach the finish line. Imagine there are hurdles in his way that he must pass over in order to finish his course. He cannot reach his goal if he cannot get past those hurdles. He cannot run the rest of his race without conquering those hurdles. That is how we are as we run our Christian race. We cannot move closer to Christ if we continue holding on to transgressions that we have experienced with fellow Christians. If we turn over the situation in our minds a hundred times and do not move on, still feeling anger in our hearts when we think of that person or that instance, we will not move forward.
Just as a runner feels when he passes over the hurdles and gets closer to his goal, we will experience a very “freeing” feeling when we let go of the weights of bitterness and just pass them over to move closer to Christ!
by Elizabeth Myers
