Hurting People Hurt People

"And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword" (1 Samuel 22:18-19)

Thought For Today:
If you encounter an injured animal, be cautious because it may be more likely to attack you than to accept your help. I've come to realize that this also applies to people. When individuals are hurt themselves, they tend to hurt others. I have been on the receiving end of hurtful words from people who I never would have expected to speak to me that way, especially since they claim to have been "born again." But because they have been hurt by others, when I try to help them, they lash out at me. This dynamic also occurs in the church, where many pastors and other members are attacked when they try to help others, not recognizing that the person is hurting. They may unintentionally say or do the wrong thing, triggering a barrage of attacks from the person who is in pain. Rejection, as experienced by King Saul, causes deep hurt, as most people struggle to accept rejection due to a lack of conflict resolution skills. Because Saul was hurt, he turned against those who were reaching out to help him, even causing harm to the people of God. When people are hurting, they often lash out at those trying to help them rather than confronting the source of their pain. As Christians, we should never attack anyone, especially those within God's family.