How Your Response to Hurts Can Attract God’s Favour

Hurting? Well, the fact is as long as we are on planet earth, we can never escape getting hurt.

I understand it is more painful when these hurts are coming from your near and dear ones, especially your parents, spouse or children or close friend whom you trusted, but they failed you. However as a child of God, if you don’t deal with these hurts, it can harden your heart and block you from moving forward towards our God destiny.

CHOICE IS YOURS

If you study the Bible, you will see that all men of God experienced hurts, challenges or attacks, yet some came out as overcomers and fulfilled their destinies, while others failed in dealing with them and thus could never fulfill their God given assignments.

Take the case of Joseph. In the time of severe famine, God used him to deliver his entire family. But this same Joseph was hated and betrayed by his very own brothers in the past. As a person in authority, Joseph had every opportunity to take revenge, and rightfully so, but how did he respond?

Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:19-20)

Joseph rose above that situation and didn’t allow his past circumstances to affect him because He knew He was loved and backed by God. He chose not to live as a victim and when opportunity was presented to him to take revenge, he showed forgiveness and kindness to his brothers.

That’s the right response we can give for hurts!

Don’t let your hurts affect your spirit, your identity or your intimacy with God. When you are not established in who you are in Christ, you will always have expectations from others and when these are not met, it will pull you down. But if you know you are loved by God and that heaven backs you, like Joseph, you will move from glory to glory.

HOW YOU CAN ATTRACT GOD’S FAVOUR

When you have an attitude like Joseph, where you know that the hand of the Lord is upon you; where you choose not to grow bitter or play the victim and guard the integrity of your heart, you can attract the favour of the Lord.

Because Joseph was consistent in this attitude, (earlier even when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him), the Bible says that “the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Genesis 39:21,22

Instead of focussing on your situation or the downfall of your betrayers, focus on being thankful to God for how much he has blessed and elevated you. That’s the best way you can make your enemy mad because his intention is always to make your heart bitter and cold towards God, so that you can never walk into the fullness of your destiny.

But know that the Lord understands you and He will take up your case as He says vengeance is mine (Romans 12:19-21).

Look at David. When he was running away from Saul, he had every reason to get bitter and vengeful. In fact, he even got an opportunity to kill Saul, yet what he did was truly admirable. He said. ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed. (1 Samuel 24:10)

For David, it was all about following God’s principle, without allowing his ego to come in between, and so he showed mercy on Saul and let him go.

Sometimes people say things because they are not in a right of mind or circumstances were not right. “It’s the hurting people that hurt others.” But you, on your part, can let go and move on. Or if you are struggling you can talk to your leader or mentor and expose your heart to them, so they can prayerfully guide you. At the end, choose to be the more mature one! And the more you are able to let go, the more you will attract God’s favour upon your life.