You Can Triumph Over Grudges!

Someone is holding a grudge against you! His or her actions towards you are less than kind and down right rude! Nothing you said or did warrants your current situation with him or her! How will you handle it? Adapted from my book, Help to Get Over It, under the pen name Rev. D. R. Williams, this article shares strategies for dealing with this very common problem of grudges by looking at a similar situation in the Bible.

The term grudge evokes the ugly images of words such as; spite, hate, hostility, contempt, malice and scorn. To have a grudge against someone is to have feelings of resentment and bitterness. The grudge holder usually harbors feelings of envy, dislike and jealousy. Besides having a mean disposition toward the intended grudge recipient, it causes petty and rancorous behavior within the grudge holder.

Examining the biblical account of the infamous grudge that King Saul had against David, we discover that their relationship started amicably. Saul was often tormented so his advisors found David to serenade him with soothing harp melodies. Although David loved King Saul and felt privileged to serve him, a nasty grudge marred their relationship.

The grudge started after David slew Goliath, the giant, on behalf of King Saul. People became so excited that they sang praises ascribing a larger victory to David than they did to their king. Jealousy consumed Saul and from that point, he plotted David's death.

* Saul required David to bring a dowry of one hundred foreskins from the Philistines to marry his daughter, Michal.

* Saul threw a javelin at David on three separate occasions.

* Saul tried to kill David in his daughter's home.

* Saul pursued David and had eighty-five priests killed after one priest helped him. He massacred men, women and children leaving only one survivor.

* Saul chased David to the wilderness, yet David was able to cut off Saul's skirt unnoticed. David could have avenged himself; instead, he showed mercy and did not injure Saul.

* Saul was remorseful for a while and promised not to harm David.

* Saul, after a season, pursued David with three thousand men to kill him.