Dealing With Resentment

Dealing with Resentment

Martha

Read: Luke 10:38-40

Ruth lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to her husband’s snoring. Oh great! she thought. It’s not enough for him to ruin my day; he has to ruin my night, too! First, he’d forgotten to pick up milk on his way home from the office. Then he spent the evening watching the football game with his brother when he knew perfectly well that she wanted his help painting the spare bedroom. Her muscles tensed up just thinking about him—and he’d wondered why she wouldn’t say good night.

When Jesus and his disciples visited Martha’s house, we don’t know what she was cooking, but we know that she began to stew. As a meticulous hostess, Martha wanted everything to be perfect for her guests. She didn’t mind being in charge, but did her sister plan to just sit there and leave all the dinner preparations to her? It wasn’t fair. Everyone could see how busy Martha was. Why didn’t Jesus say something to Mary about helping out? As the minutes dragged by, Martha’s irritation grew until finally she decided to say something.

By the time Martha spoke up, her resentment had grown to the point that she didn’t consider Mary’s feelings when she rebuked her in front of everyone. In our desire to please, we often repress our feelings about situations that we consider unfair. As our resentment grows into anger, it can erupt in sudden outbursts, or we may turn it inward and get depressed. It’s healthier to express our feelings with others when we can do so calmly. God also wants us to talk with him openly about our frustrations. He doesn’t want us to repress or ignore unpleasant feelings; he wants to help us deal with them. God knows that if we keep simmering, we’ll eventually boil over.

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.

Ephesians 4:26