Through my African Eyes: Break the Cycle

11-03-2021

By Stephen Apollo

When I came across the ‘pay it forward’ philosophy, I was so excited about it and I quickly passed it forward to my youth group. While the ‘pay it forward’ wisdom is a catalyst to encourage kindness and goodness, with a consequence of a ripple effect, I am sure we have philosophies that deter us from paying forward our aches, pains, and hurts. We have all experienced betrayal, hatred, evil, rejection, mistreatment and abuse that deeply hurt us in many forms and shapes.

This could be the current place of many reading this today. There is always a pressuring temptation to pay it forward. We need to say no to this temptation and yield ourselves to the invitation to break the cycle. If you were hurt, do not hurt. If you were judged wrongly, seek understanding. If you were shamed, choose compassion. If you were rejected, choose to accept. If you were wounded, seek healing. It is Mahatma Gandhi who said that, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Gandhi is inviting us to interrupt a dangerous pattern and I believe this is exactly what the apostle Peter meant in 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV), “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” Do not pay forward your aches, pains, and hurts. Promise yourself to be better in the face of what broke you. Be the person that breaks the cycle, it could be the only remedy to your current brokenness.

Image by Mohamed-Nohassi from Unsplash