“God knows I would have imprinted my five fingers on her face if you hadn’t interfered! Just look at her—who does she think she is to talk to me that way? Can she buy seniority in the market? Four years, for that matter! “
” Lilian, you need to let me deal with this ingrate; she’s always getting on my nerves!” Lola vituperated as she flung her hands carelessly with her fingers pointing menacingly at Grace, her roommate.
Grace, on the other hand, was unrelenting. She wore a sardonic smile, and her poise was like that of someone ready to return a slap.
Lilian stood between them, doing her best to tame the outburst of her friend. It was the noise of the altercation that had drawn her to their room. Thankfully, she arrived just in time—right before Lola’s hand could land a hot slap on Grace’s cheek.
Grace was known for being loquacious. Her tongue was sharp, and her words were like bullets that can pierce the souls of her victims. It takes a good measure of God’s grace to actually live with Grace, and Lilian could testify to that, having once been a victim herself.
After separating them, Lilian literally dragged her friend out of the room, because she was bent on unleashing her fury on Grace.
“Goodness saved you. I would have shown you what four slaps in one feels like…” were Grace’s last words as they left the room.
“Did you hear what she said when we left?” Lola fumed. “I mean, Lilian, my younger sister is two years older than that girl, and I’ve never recorded a single act of disrespect from my sister towards me.” she continued as she staggered in the direction of Lilian’s pull.
Lilian led her to the balcony of the compound.
Lola continued angrily, “Do you know how well I took care of Grace when she had financial struggles? Lilian, this girl is ungrateful. She has successfully made herself my enemy, and you know me, Lilian, once I’ve made up my mind about someone, that’s how it stays. Right now, she’s as good as dead to me.” The tone of her voice was laden with bitterness—the kind that oozes from a wound caused by Grace’s bullets.
While Lola ranted, Lilian sat quietly, absorbing her friend’s embitterment. When she noticed that Lola had run out of words, she said something that caught her attention.
“Hmmm, Lola, did you say enemy?” she began. Before she could finish, Lola responded sharply, “Of course! Even worse! I hate her to my marrow.”
“Lola, do you remember the 12th of July, 2021?” Lilian asked.
There was a pause as Lola hesitated to reply. That day was precious to her—It was the day she became born again. The day she felt the loving hands of Jesus pull her out of the mire of grief and guilt she had sunk into.
The joy, yes, the joy of salvation had flooded her soul then. Even as she reminisced about that day, the same joy began to well up within her again, diluting the bitterness she felt at that moment.
Seconds spiraled into minutes, and Lola stood still, weakened by reflection. She gently lowered herself onto the slab, resting her chin in her hands.
Lilian smiled and drew closer.“You know what, Lola? Do you really think it was Grace who made you angry? The devil only took advantage of her weakness to tempt you. Yes, she bears a Christian name and regularly attends church services, but that doesn’t automatically confer salvation on her. Who knows? She might be struggling as a result of an old wound inflicted on her years ago, and is still trusting God for complete healing. You don’t know what she is muddling up within. What if she hasn’t learned how to subject her temperament to be controlled by the Holy Spirit?
She isn’t your enemy—The devil is. In fact, deep within her, she might be crying for help, and those hurtful words are her teardrops in disguise.”
She continued, “The devil wants to steal your salvation and use your ignorance of her plight to further harden her heart, even in her state of grievance. Can’t you see how the devil is plotting to kill two birds with one stone? I know it is not easy, but when you choose to see her helplessness and recognize the devil pulling the strings behind those hurtful words, you will hate the devil more and immediately rebuke him. Instead of hatred, you’ll love her more, because Christ lives in you now. You will choose to see beyond the offense and disappoint the devil’s agenda to make both of you his prey. Given the right time and help, people can change but the devil is forever doomed. He is the only enemy we have as Christians and he specializes in making us enemies of ourselves. We will always have to choose the way of Love to glorify God’s name.”
God spoke through Lilian to Lola and gave her a perfect understanding of how a Christian ought to approach offences.
Lola was grateful to have heard those words.
“Thank you so much, Lilian. You’re a friend indeed. I never saw it this way,” Lola said as she hugged her friend.
A spirit controlled christian will always be watchful to resist every attempt by the devil to make us offended and sin against God.There is always abundant grace from God to help us maintain healthy relationships with people like Grace. They are a special breed of people who are lovable if only you allow the Holy spirit play a music note of love on the strings of your emotions.
This time, she felt pity for Grace and prayed for her restoration and healing instead of hating her.
Dear friends, are you in Lola’s shoes? Or have you ever been in one before? I hope you will see as Lola has seen that the real culprit is not Grace, her roommate. It is the devil toying with the strings of her emotions because she permitted him.
Always choose to see beyond the offence with the eye of God’s love.
God bless you.