Maybe the little guy in this video clip is familiar to you? :- ).  (Video format was not able to be uploaded to this blog post, just the screen shot, sorry)

Pardon the poor quality but I used my phone to record that clip that comes at the tail end of a 30 second spot that was made over 10-15 years ago, I believe, for a medical outfit. You can easily find it by typing “Injured, injured bad!’ in the search bar on YouTube. It’s one of those lines that has circled back over and over in our family over the years for some strange reason.

In no way is the adorable expression emitted from this young lad intended to make light of any injury, but it’s hard not to smile when you hear and watch him utter that phrase...”He was injured, injured bad!”

The word ‘injure’ means ‘do physical harm or damage to someone’. To be injured is obviously something that no one relishes because it hurts, and the pain and damage can be real, deep, and long lasting.

‘He was injured in a motorcycle wreck’...or, ‘she sustained more injuries than first anticipated and will be in therapy and treatment much longer now’. Injuries are real and they can be excruciatingly painful. And while the word has more of a physical connotation to it, we also know what it means to be ‘injured’ in our heart and soul. That kind of pain can be just as real and long lasting, if not more so. If you know, you know.

I would also submit that when we experience harm at the hands of others, especially those who we were close to and never would have thought they were capable of inflicting such pain, it can be, for many, nearly impossible to overcome. Those kind of wounds run deep.

We also know that wounds left unattended and/or not treated properly can easily become infected; as in really bad ‘germs’ find their way in and things will only get worse, making the healing process that much more difficult. I am no medical expert by any stretch of the imagination, so I could be wrong when I say that one of the first signs of infection setting in to a wound is a change of color, or redness and swelling and even pockets of puss will begin to appear. If you have ever had to puncture a pocket of puss, it’s not pretty to watch.

So if you have ever been wounded, or injured by someone before, one of those eventual signs of ‘infection’ setting in is the tendency to want to ‘get back’ at that person who has harmed you in this way. You did nothing to be on the receiving end of such pain and while blindsided by the injury, you know deep inside someone ‘needs to pay’! We all know about those lawyers who specialize in ‘injury compensation’, do we not?

Which leads me back to the topic we were addressing this past week where Jesus taught that you and I were to be “perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect”. (Matt. 5:48)

I had pointed out the other day had that seemingly unrealistic goal came on the heels of Jesus teaching how we were to respond towards others who have...injured, or harmed us. (Matt. 5:38-45). You might take a moment and go read those verses again if you would, please.

I think it’s easy to reduce God’s ultimate commandments down to a nice ‘catch phrase’ or slogan where being a ‘Christian’ is all about “Loving God & Loving People”. Churches have used that as their ‘mission statement’ and it does have a nice ring to it. It’s also easy for us to quickly surmise that sure...”I love God...and I love people” and we feel secure that we are on the right track. But can I tell you that genuine love is not really tested or proven, until we are called upon to love those who have harmed us? And I don’t advise anyone trying to do this outside of God’s help and grace that only comes when we are abiding in Him.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners to the same....but love your enemies, do good to them who hate you...bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you...that you might be children of your Father in heaven. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:27-36; Matt. 5:38-45)

This was the ‘bar’ that Jesus set for us to gauge how we were doing in this area of ‘loving others as Christ loved us’. While we were yet sinners, Christ laid down His life for us. (Rom. 5:8). And Jesus made it clear...if we truly loved Him, then we would ‘keep His commandment to love others as He loved us’. (John 13:34-35; 14:15)

Again, you will find it nearly impossible to do this, fulfill this commandment, outside of abiding in Jesus. (John 15:4-5). And if you think you are ‘standing firm, take heed lest you fall’. (1 Cor. 10:11). Might be time for a little ‘heart check’, you think? (2 Cor. 13:5)

So may I help out just a little as I point out some scripture that could aid in getting out the ‘puss’ and ‘infection’ from your wounded heart and soul...if this might be hitting some raw nerves today? It has to do with that gnawing question that torments you: “But what about them?! They need to pay for this harm they have done to me!”

First of all, do you want to ‘take care of things’ on your own, or are you willing to allow God...to ‘take care of things’? And before you attempt to ‘do the word’ and apply what Jesus instructed us to do, you first need to at least acknowledge what He said and be willing to ‘agree with it’, while at first you won’t necessarily ‘like’ what you read/hear. You might also keep in mind that whatever you choose to do, in handling this situation...will be the same way in which God will deal with you when you ...are guilty of harming and hurting others. (Matt. 7:1-2; Luke 6:37-38)

And the first order of business at hand here, after you agree to turn this over to God ...has to do with the people who harmed you, because until you deal with them first, you will never be healed and made whole. Take a look at Romans 12:14-21. Paul seems to be borrowing or reading from the same ‘play book’ that Jesus used when He was preaching all this ‘sermon on the Mount’.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...repay no one evil for evil... do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good...”.

Now let’s scroll back and underline a promise made there by God: “Vengeance is Mine and I will repay, says the Lord.” (19). And be sure to make note of that first part: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath.”

If you don’t believe that God can do a better job at ‘making all things right in His eyes’ and that you would be better at this...well, you may as well stop reading now and have at it. But good luck to you with that.

But if you are even slightly open to letting God step in and settle matters, then there is hope for you. And can I just tell you that God is always ready to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are turned towards Him. In fact, scripture teaches that God’s eyes are continuously looking for such candidates. (2 Chron. 16:9)

As I have already stated here twice today, you will not succeed at this in your own strength and will power. It will take the grace of God...and that grace is only available to those who are humble enough to admit they need it (James 4:6).

Do you know where we usually find grace? In the wilderness, ...that place of testing. (Jer. 31:2). “Think it not strange...this fiery trial which is to try you...” (1 Pet. 4:12-14)

This...is how we are ‘made perfect...and complete’. (James 1:2-4) This is how we know that we are abiding in Him...as we are ‘perfected in His love’. (1 John 2:3-6; 4:12,17)

Will there be some ‘suffering’ as you obey His word? Oh yeah...there sure will be. But let’s not forget that ‘he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin...so that we might do the will of God’. (1 Pet. 4:1-2; 5:9-10)

If I have said it once, I have said it a ‘thousand times’... Jesus came to set us free from ALL sin. We can actually ‘go and sin no more’. (John 8:32-36). We can be made ‘perfect’. (Matt. 5:48) And abiding in Him is NOT an option. (John 15:6). Oh, and have I mentioned that ‘fruit matters’? (John 15:4-6; Matt. 3:10; 7:17-20)

I may have also mentioned a time or two that we are living in urgent times...God is trying to awaken a sleeping church where many have grown drowsy, fallen asleep, even ‘drifted’ if not ...’fallen away’ from the faith.

Oh...and the reason I used the expression of having ‘said it a thousand times’... today happens to be my 1000th post since I first started blogging here. But hey...who’s counting, right? ;- ).

“Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6). You can take up your bed and walk today. Do it, in Jesus’s name!