“Cut It Down And Forget It”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesThere’s no question that the American Civil War left a tragic aftermath of bitterness, hatred, and resentment. The wounds inflicted in that war were deep and painful. These emotions continued long after the last gun fell silent. Many folks could not forget the blood that was spilled, nor forgive those who spilled it. In the minds of men, that war continued long after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia on April 9, 1865.
However, Lee refused to participate in or condone this terrible bitterness. He urged reconciliation between the North and South, because he knew the war was over and that the future of the nation demanded a new attitude for a new day.
In Charles Bracelen Flood’s book, “Lee: The Last Years,” there’s a story about an encounter that General Robert E. Lee experienced with a woman in Kentucky who lived in a stately home not far from where Lee lived.
After accepting her invitation to visit, General Lee arrived at her home, whereupon the woman showed him the remains of a grand old tree. It was obvious the tree held great sentimental value to her, because she was crying as she described how the tree had been destroyed by Union artillery fire.
She expected the General to sympathize with her and condemn the North for all the atrocities they had committed. Instead, Lee just looked at the tree and quietly said, “Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it.”
Folks, that’s good advice for all of us!
Brethren and friends, past slights, hurts, and wrongs that we have received at the hands of others will only poison our life. Past losses, defeats, and failures can cause us to give up on life and living. Regrets can chain us to the past.
But guess what? No defeat has to be final — no failure need be permanent. Dwelling on past defeats and failures can blind us to the opportunities for present victories. Yes, we’ve all experienced, sorrows, grief, and heartaches. But let’s remember — there is a time to mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:4), but there also is a time to live again — a time when we must see the hope and promise of better days ahead (Philippians 3:12-15).
We’ve all experienced mistakes, transgressions, and sins. But there is a power greater than sin. It is the power of our Lord to forgive sin (Luke 5:18-26; Luke 7:36-50). Remorse over sin can turn to rejoicing over salvation (Psalm 51; cf. Acts 8:35-39).
In all of the above, let us foremost remember the wise words of General Robert E. Lee: “Cut it down and forget it.”
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