Are There Any Old Mules We Ain’t Talkin’ To?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
One day, a visitor leaned on a farmer’s fence, and observed the farmer plowing with his mule. After a while, the visitor spoke up and said, “I don’t mean to tell you how to run your business, friend, but you wouldn’t have to work so hard if you would just say, ‘Gee’ and ‘Haw’ to that mule instead of just tugging on those reins.” The old farmer stopped, pulled a big handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his face and said, “Reckon you’re right son, but this old mule kicked me five years ago, and I ain’t spoke to him since.”
Some folks hold a grudge for a long, long, long time. Perhaps we can remember distinctly the exact words that were spoken to us, or the way we were mistreated by someone, and we’re determined to “never forgive, and never forget.” Unfortunately, grudges do not hurt others nearly as much as they hurt us. But no matter how hard it may be, we’ll tug on those reins until the day we die, rather than seek reconciliation (Matthew 18:15; Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 17:3; cf. Leviticus 19:17-18).
The apostle Paul has a better solution than the farmer:
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32; cf. Genesis 50:15-21).
Brethren, are there any old mules we ain’t talkin’ to?