The Three R’s: Repent, Revoke, Replace
The Three R’s: Repent, Revoke, Replace
We all have wounds! But the wounds aren’t what cripple us and chain us to ourselves: it’s the way we respond to them that does that. The way we often tend to react when we’ve been hurt can cause a type of sin that kind of sneaks up on us so that we don’t even know it’s sin. Whenever we feel hurt in any way – victimized by other people, by situations, by life itself – there’s a natural, human reaction to blame someone, to strike back somehow. So we respond with anger, resentment, bitterness, judgment, rebellion, and a whole bunch of other not so pleasant thoughts and feelings.
At times, our responses are very verbal, and we sin with our tongues. At other times, we don’t say anything out loud; we just lock up all those negative reactions inside our hearts and minds where they continue to grow and eat away at us like cancerous sores.
Sometimes, we “say” things inside ourselves, things like, “I hate him!”…”I don’t ever want to be like her!”…”What a jerk!”…”I wish he were dead!” And on and on – you get the idea. Every time you allow these kinds of things to remain in your mind and heart, you place another chain around your neck. These are all forms of unforgiveness, and we need to get rid of them. As St. Paul writes,
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and
slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another,…forgiving one
another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32 NRSV
How do I learn to bless when I feel like cursing – when I feel I have a right to curse? By using a very simple exercise called “The Three R’s.” What are “The Three R’s?” (I’m glad you asked.)
The Three R’s
You’re driving down the road, when suddenly someone cuts you off, and you have to slam on your brakes. You growl inside, your body tenses up, and your face turns into a nasty snarl: “What a jerk! Why don’t you learn how to drive?” Gradually you start to relax, and then you realize that you just chose to curse instead of to bless. What do you do? Use the Three R’s:
- Repent. “Oh, Lord, there I go again. I’m sorry, Lord. I repent of that reaction; I repent of the thoughts, the judgements, the anger, the words I uttered.”
- Revoke. “I revoke all of those negative, unkind thoughts, Lord. I un-think them, and I un-say those words.”
- Replace. “I replace those ‘curses’ with a blessing, Lord. I forgive him, and I bless him, and I ask that You bless him, Lord.”