Have you ever experienced this? You sit down to read, either a book or your Bible or even a magazine article and it's exactly what you needed to hear at just the right moment. This hasn't happened to me in a long while, but I know what God's trying to tell me.
Forgive...
Do you have trouble with forgiveness? If so, this next resolution is for you. Do you feel like this isn't really an area you're struggling with? Stick with me I'm sure one day you will have to forgive someone of something.
I hear all the time God looks at our heart, if you're suffering from unforgivness it's like a weed of bitterness that grows and grows tangling your heart, choking the life right out of you...trust me I know.Outward smiles, and cheerful ways can't mask the deep dark bitterness laying inside of you. Your whole attitude, your whole being will show what's going on inside your heart.
Paul said twice "examine yourselves" 1 Corinthians 11:28 and 2 Corinthians 13:5. Stop trying to fix the other person...yep, they messed up. Yep they probably deserve your anger...and yet...Christ died for them too...Christ rose for them too. Christ persues them too...
Forgiveness doesn't set them free, it sets you free...of the power they hold on you. Of the anger you feel forced to hold on to. Of the bitterness that can so easily wrap itself around your heart.
Maybe instead of drowning our emotions and working so hard to make everyone think we're fine..what if just for a moment we shine God's amazing light on our heart...on the inside most hurt we've experienced. Lets examine ourselves and the unforgivness we hold on to. Lets be honest....
Oh dear ladies I'm so not there yet. I want the person I need to forgive to suffer...and suffer good...but God wants freedom for me, and that persons heart. It doesn't make what he's doing right..but it frees me to live...to truly completley live.
If you are suffering from this as well the Resolution for Women has a few passages to read and study..
 |
| Photo Source |
Forgiveness:
Mark 11:25-26 - Making reconciled relationships a regular part of our praying
Matthew 6:14-15 - How our forgivness of others relates to God's forgivness of us
Hebrews 12:14 - The blessing that flows from persuing peace with everyone
Bitterness:
Ephesians 4:31 - The only good thing to do with it is to get rid of it
Hebrews 12:15 - What bitterness can do if it's not pulled up by the roots
Proverbs 14:10 - All we can ever expect from hanging on to it
I'm going to do some reading and studying myself...Thank You Lord that You love us so much you want to teach us to forgive and move past the hurts so we can truly be free.
Beautiful post. Forgiveness is so hard but also so freeing. And how can we not forgive, God forgives us!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, forgiveness is hard! But I have to remember thatno matter what's been done to me, Christ has forgiven me for so much more. Thanks for this encouragement!
ReplyDelete