May 20th

The Key of Forgiveness

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

Have you ever wondered why God forgave you?

I think a lot of us are scared to ask the question, as though our inability to come up with an answer might make God change His mind. But there's no reason for us to be scared.

Do you know why?

Because it is God's very nature to forgive. And now, as His children, we need to recognize that our new nature is also one that forgives.

I don't mean in any way to minimize the hurt you've experienced. I know the pain is real,

and I know the pain runs deep. But I also know that unforgiveness is a prison, and the walls are really thick, and you're the one being imprisoned by harboring unforgiveness in your heart. So many people underestimate the ramifications of unforgiveness in our lives. This is why blood pressures are too high. This is why there are so many ulcers. This is why there are so many heart attacks. This is why there are so many problems with people's digestion and nervous breakdowns. Your body wasn't designed to hold onto these things.

Honestly, harboring hatred and unforgiveness toward others who have wronged us is like shooting ourselves with a rifle so that we could hit our enemy with the recoil of the gun. How stupid is that? I'm going to blow my head off so the recoil hits you. That's what unforgiveness does. I don't mean to minimize the pain of what's been done. What's been done was wrong. No one's getting off scot-free. But the Bible tells us to make room for God to take over and work in that situation, and whatever action has taken place, God is looking at our reaction to the action that has taken place.

Have I been hurt? You bet. Have I been betrayed? Absolutely. So have you. We all have.

But God is looking now at our hearts and our response and our reaction. We'll be judged on our reaction. And it doesn't matter how grievous or hellish the sin was that was committed that hurt you, it doesn't give you the right to sin in response to the sin that was done.

As long as you hold onto unforgiveness, you are stuck in the pain of your past. Forgive the people who hurt you so that you can be free from the pain they gave you.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You took all my sin and hurts on the cross so that I know You understand how much I have been hurt! But I need to be done hurting, so I choose to forgive the people who have hurt me and I ask You to heal me from the hurts I have suffered.

Amen