S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Ressentir is an old French word, literally meaning "intense feeling." In English, it is resent, and it refers to feeling pain and indignation due to injustice or insult. People may feel resentful w...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Remove Vote • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

Resentment is dangerous because it is one of those early stage emotions that can lead us down the slippery slope into serious sinful actions that stem from anger, rage, hatred, envy, jealousy and bitterness. Following are some examples of resentment and its "result" in the lives of major characters in the bible.

Eve: She resented the fact that God was withholding something very attractive to her. Result: She eat the forbidden fruit, as did Adam. Then sin and death entered the world, they were banished from paradise and thus began the struggle for survival and slavery to sin.

Cain: He resented the fact that his offering was not accepted by God. Result: Cain killed Abel, the first murder, and God banished him to be a wanderer upon the earth without a home.

Noah: He resented the fact that his son Shem saw him drunk and naked. Result: Noah cursed Shem who became the father of all the peoples of the middle east, except Israel. These peoples have allied against the nation of Israel and Christianity ever since.

Abraham: Sarah and Abraham resented the fact that God was waiting so long to provide an heir who would fulfil all the promises. Result: They took matters into their own hands to provide an heir through her servant Hagar. Ismael grew to hate Isaac (renamed Israel) and became the father of the Arabian peoples who started the religion of Islam and have sought to destroy Israel and the church of Jesus Christ ever since.

Moses: He resented the fact that an Egyptian was unjustly beating a fellow Israelite. Result: Moses killed the Egyptian and was then banished by God into the wilderness. It took 40 years for God to purge Moses of his pride and hot temper until he became the most humble man (next to Jesus) who ever lived. Then he was ready to lead the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land.

David: He resented the fact that God was not punishing his enemies for unjustly seeking to kill him, an innocent man. Result: David cried out to God many times in the Psalms about this injustice. Then he remembered God's faithfulness in the past and God's promises for the future. His resentment turned to praise and thanksgiving.

Peter: He resented the fact that Jesus was willing to surrender himself to his enemies rather than fighting to become the king of Israel. Result: Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times. Later he repented and was restored by Jesus to become the rock that Jesus built his church upon. Jesus gave Peter the keys to his kingdom and Peter personally unlocked the door to allow Gentiles to become believers (that's us today).

Paul: He resented the fact that Christians were stealing converts away from his beloved Jewish religion. Paul became a zealous hunter of Christians, putting them to death or in prison. Then Paul met Jesus on the Damascus road and his resentment melted away into grace. Paul became the most zealous convert to Christianity, spreading the gospel to Jews and Gentiles all over the world.

I think we can find examples of resentment in every book of the bible. It is a common emotion and, as the examples indicate above, very dangerous. In my view, the antidote to resentment taking hold in our lives is provided by King David. He suffered from resentment many times, as recorded in the Psalms, but he learned to deal with it in the following way:

1) Remember God's faithfulness in the past
2) Recall the promises of God for the future, when God will right all the injustices and punish all the evil
3) Turn the feelings of resentment into praise and thanksgiving

January 20 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report