“I am never going back there again!”

I will never eat, shop, visit, or spend my money there ever again.

We have all said that about someplace. The service was terrible, and the experience was upsetting. So we decided that we were going to protest that place. We severed our relationship and walked away forever.

Of course, this will get mentioned when other people plan to visit that establishment. Then we will vocalize our disdain for that place to sway other people’s opinions. Even now, we can feel our blood boil whenever that place is mentioned.

We do this with people too.

The interaction did not go the way we wanted it to go. They made you angry and didn’t seem to care. Finally, you are so frustrated with them that you swear, “I will never have anything to do with them again.” 

With that, you began your personal protest against that person. Now, whenever anyone speaks of them, you tell your unpleasant story and try to sway other people’s opinions. Quite often, we feel justified in our frustration and believe everyone else should feel the same way.

I understand this outside the Church, but inside the community of the Lord’s people, this should not happen. Paul writes to the Church in the city of Colossae, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13 – NIV 2011)

Maybe it is time to drop your picket sign, give up your personal protest and find the forgiveness that is needed.