Just outside the gate
Anonymous drawing based on an oil painting by Henri Motte,
public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“A Trojan Horse sits just outside the gate of your heart. Its name is bitterness. It is a monument to every attack you have endured from your fellow human beings. It is a gift left by the people who have wronged you…It is rightfully yours. But to accept the gift is to invite ruin into your life.” – Andy Stanley
Whoa. I don’t know about you, but that hits me hard. What jumps out most at me is the sentence “It is rightfully yours.” How often do we hang onto hurts and resentment simply because they are understandable, even justified?
If you think Stanley is wrong in warning that bitterness leads to ruin, I challenge you to watch the news and ask yourself how many of the stories of mayhem and violence have their roots in bitterness. Then think of some of the most inspiring, uplifting tales you have heard. Chances are, many feature a huge dose of forgiveness, understanding or willingness to move beyond hurt.
In today’s world, the Trojan Horse evokes thoughts of computer viruses that sneak onto hard drives and work widespread damage. It’s not a bad metaphor for the malevolent influence of resentment in our hearts. It sneaks into areas where it has no relevance, tainting what once was helpful, destroying any chance of happiness, new friendships and future success.
We cannot afford to accept this treacherous gift, no matter how appealing it may seem. It may have a sinister, seductive beauty about it. It may be large, and hard to get rid of. We may need outside help to deal with it safely. But we cannot afford to keep it.
Is there a Trojan Horse outside your gate? I’m working on dismantling mine. If you have one, I hope you’ll join me in neutralizing the evil influence of bitterness. It’s not easy, but the alternative is ultimately much worse.
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: bitterness, compassion, evil, forgiveness, hatred, heart, mindfulness, peace, reconciliation, resentment, resolution, understanding, wrong
Defeat Despair 
Julia, I wish I had a book that contains all your posts. It would be such a wonderful resource for meditation!
This post gives yet another gift of insights that I want to apply to my own life. The quote from Andy Stanley pairs up perfectly with the drawing. You must have spent a long time finding just the right combination and then composing your thoughts, just as you surely do for all your posts. The one today is such a good reminder to me to let go of troubling memories and bitterness that want to slide into my heart. Thank you for reminding me to keep them outside the gate.
Judy, this is perhaps one of the most personal posts of the 1100+ that I have written here, in terms of how much I need its message. For me, it’s a constant struggle. But I do think I have come to see this trojan horse as the enemy it is; I know the destructive forces that hide within it. Thanks for being here, and for understanding.
Good morning, Julia!
So true: “We cannot afford to accept this treacherous gift, no matter how appealing it may seem.”
I immediately thought of an area that I can start dismantling, too.
Love and blessings to you and Matt.
Good luck with your dismantling, Susan! Let’s keep at it. I keep coming across parts I didn’t know were there…