- More Symptomatic Words: "Resent" "Resentment"

IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER IT WAS STATED that there are telltale words that carry meanings not included in their etymology. The word “unfair” was cited as being such a word. “Resent” in its various forms is another.
I have been around religious circles quite awhile now, and I have never heard the word “resent” used by victorious Christians. Or at least if they used the word, it was not to express any feelings within their own heart. In the course of scores of conferences and hundreds of conversations, I have many times heard people say, “I resent that,” but I repeat—I have never heard the words used by victorious Christians. Resentment simply cannot dwell in a loving heart. Before resentfulness can enter, love must take its flight and bitterness must enter. The bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which it takes offense and will watch over itself like a mother bear over her cubs. And the figure is apt, for the resentful heart is always surly and suspicious like a she-bear.
Few sights are more depressing than that of a professed Christian defending his or her supposed rights and bitterly resisting any attempt to violate them. Such a Christian has never accepted the way of the cross. The sweet graces of meekness and humility are unknown to that person. Every day he or she grows harder and more acrimonious, trying to defend his or her reputation, rights, ministry against his or her imagined foes.
The only cure for this sort of thing is to die to self and rise with Christ into newness of life. The man or woman who sets the will of God as his or her goal will reach that goal not by self-defense but by self-abnegation. Then no matter what sort of treatment that person receives from other people, he oe she will be altogether at peace. The will of God has been done—this Christian does not care whether it comes with curses or compliments, for he or she does not seek one or the other, but wants to do the will of God at any cost. Then, whether riding the crest of public favor or wallowing in the depth of obscurity, he or she will be content. If there be some who take pleasure in holding this Christian down, still he or she will not resent them, for he or she seeks not advancement but the will of God.
It is sad that certain pagan philosophers have had to teach us Christians so simple a lesson as this. “I must die,” said Epictetus, “and must I die groaning too? I must be exiled; and what hinders me, then, but that I may go smiling, and cheerful, and serene? `Betray a secret.’ I will not betray it. `Then I will fetter you.’ You will fetter my leg, but no one can get the better of my free will. `I will behead that paltry body of yours.’ Did I ever tell you,” answered Epictetus, “that I alone had a head that couldn’t be cut off?
“This is to have studied what ought to be studied; to have placed our desires and aversions above tyranny and above chance. I must die—if instantly, I will die instantly; if in a short time, I will dine first, and when the hour comes, then I will die. How? As becomes one who restores what is not his own.” Let no one reject the reasoning of this sturdy old philosopher. Even without the light of saving grace, he knew how a created being ought to behave beneath the mighty hand of its Creator, and that is more than many Christians appear to know. But we have better authority than his for our conduct. Christ left us an example, and from it there can be no appeal. As He was, so are we in this world, and He never felt a trace of resentment against any man. Even those who crucified Him were forgiven while they were in the act. Not a word did He utter against them or against the liars and hypocrites who stirred them up to destroy Him. Just how evil they all were He knew better than any other man, but He maintained toward them an attitude of charitable understanding. They were only doing their duty and even those who ordered them to their grisly task were unaware of the meaning of it all. To Pilate He said, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” So He referred everything back to the will of God and rose above the swampland of personalities. He held no grudge against any man. He felt no resentment.
The worst feature about this whole thing is that it does no good to call attention to it. The bitter heart is not likely to recognize its own condition, and if the resentful man reads this editorial at all, he will smile smugly and think I mean someone else. In the meantime he will grow smaller and smaller trying to get big, and will become more and more obscure trying to become known. As he pushes on toward his selfish goal, his prayers will be accusations against the Almighty and his whole relationship toward other Christians will be one of suspicion and distrust.
As Spurgeon said of someone, “May the grass grow green on his grave when he dies, for nothing ever grew around him while he lived.”