Scripture

Psalm 103:2 (New Living Translation)

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

Consider

We are prone to overlook many little blessings in life because we are looking for bigger and more dramatic ones.

Perhaps we have asked God to meet some critical need—deliverance from an illness or addiction, or the mending of a family breach. We may have been dealt an unfair blow and are waiting for God to make it right or at least to give us a reason why it happened. At such times we may become so focused on waiting for the big answers that we miss the smaller answers to our prayers and the simple, everyday ministrations of a Father who faithfully loves and cares for us.

We often make this same mistake in our relationships with each other. We allow our hurt and disappointment to blot out all that is good and right about people who injure or otherwise fail us. The offensive behavior becomes their main characteristic, and we become unable or unwilling to acknowledge their finer qualities. Anger and grief can narrow our perceptions and distort our memories, which is a good reason why the apostle Paul warns us not to let the sun go down while we are still angry (Ephesians 4:26).

The psalmist’s remedy for this tendency toward distorted perceptions was to name the blessings he regularly received from God: mercy, healing, redemption, compassion. At times when he felt disappointed and angry at God, his list of thanksgiving could provide a tangible reminder that God is indeed faithful and loving, and that a relationship shared with God is bigger than one’s hurt—it is, in fact, infinitely precious and well worth mending.

Likewise, when we feel bitter over a relationship injury, we might help ourselves by sitting down and naming some qualities that we admire and respect in the other person. Even acknowledging one or two qualities for which we are thankful can break through our barrier of hostility and shift our hearts from a position of accusation and rejection to one of appreciation, acceptance, and a hope of healing.

Pray

FATHER, I admit that when I am angry, I am not interested in naming what is right and good about the person who offended me. At such times I ask for your mind and heart to see this person as whole and complete, the way you do, and not merely as the source of my disappointment and pain. Help me to overlook faults in others as you overlook them in me, for the sake of your Son Jesus.

Reflect

Psalm 103:9-10; Proverbs 11:27; 19:11

Share

Do you know someone who seems to have no fine qualities? If so, how do you think God sees that person?