Hurt People Hurt People

“Some people are just angry for no reason,” my mother used to say. “Just mean and hateful.” You’ve probably seen these people in action. They walk around with an attitude. They always seem to have a big chip on their shoulders. They never have anything good to say to anyone. What is wrong with them?

Let’s start by agreeing to one thing: When people are hurting on the inside, it shows on the outside—but sometimes only in their actions. Even the woman who seems to have it all together can be falling apart inside. And the man who appears to have everything under control may be suffering, too. You never know what someone else is going through. Does this give anyone a valid reason to be mean and hateful? Absolutely not—but as Christians, it’s only our response that matters.

There’s no denying that a snide remark or hurtful comment can make us angry. Immediately, the “man spirit” rises and wants to react out of pride or hurt feelings. But because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we have to learn to rise above our own hurt feelings and respond with love. (Notice what just happened there—“love” was separated from “emotions.” That’s because love is an action.)

When hurt people try to hurt us, we have to put love into action. When we demonstrate love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 we are patient and kind. We are not jealous, we don’t brag, and we’re not proud. We don’t set out to embarrass anyone or look for self-glory. We are not so sensitive that we get angry easily and we don’t “take notes” on how we’ve been hurt. We don’t enjoy evil and misfortune—we find joy in truth. We protect, we trust, we hope—and we always keep going.

Whenever we're dealing with hurt people, we must take special care not to hurt them back. Instead, let’s cover them with love. For example, be sure to tell the next person who snaps at you to have a blessed day—and really mean it!

Love beats hurt every time, because love never fails.