Without singling out anyone, I want to discuss the occasional posts on the guestbook that make it sound like the primary goal of a person’s challenge is to “show” someone how well the person can do. It generally revolves around the rather obstructive attitude of a spouse, significant other, former significant other, or a friend, and the goal is generally to get a good result and then push that into the face of the other person!

Well, I would just say that revenge, or even just plain old resentment, makes pretty lousy fuel to power a good challenge. I say this with some experience, because until I recovered from chronic alcoholism, my life pretty much consisted of living on alcohol, anger, resentment, envy, and the ultimate emotion that these produce–SELF PITY! I learned that no resentment is worth keeping, and that I simply couldn’t afford the luxury of carrying it around with me. Most importantly, I learned that I was getting something out of being resentful, though I certainly wasn’t consciously aware of it at the time.

The worst thing that resentment does is to turn over to another person the power to make you happy, sad or angry. The end product of all that frustration, unhappiness and dissatisfaction is to produce self pity and depression.

So, the heck of it is that you can really get going on a good challenge, to stuff it in someone’s face, but ultimately you’re going to be so unhappy that being fit is going to seem pretty much nothing at all.

It is far better to forgive the offense of the other and to spare all the agony–or better yet–overlook the offense and not even get angry. How do you do that? By treating them just as you would if they were completely supportive of you. By giving them the save attention, love and services you would under ideal conditions. This might not change them, but it will change you. It will FREE YOU to be the person you want to be, the person God wants you to be. Forgiveness is critical, to YOU, not them.