For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6: 14-15
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Has anyone hurt so much that you no matter how much you pray or desire to forgive you just can't forgive? The fact is that at one point or another most of us will get hurt. We are living in an imperfect world. People are insensitive, unreasonable, and bitter. They like to tear others down under false pretenses. I can see why it can be hard to forgive, and if you do not forgive you will not be forgiven. We do not have a choice. We must cultivate forgiveness. Forgive and be forgiven. There is no way around it. God wants us to forgive each other. The Bible has a lot to say about forgiveness: Luke 6: 35-38; 42, Luke 7: 47-48, John 20:22-23, Acts 2:38 Proverbs 20:22, Micah 7:18-19, Matthew 5:24, Mark 11:25, Matthew 5:44-45, Matthew 6:9-15, Matthew 26:28 to mention only a few, but my all time favorite forgiveness verse is found in Matthew 18:21: Then peter came to Jesus and asked. "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Wow! Jesus really wants to forgive. Why don't we forgive? We struggle with forgiveness because of pride, because we let our pain dictate our behavior when we should allow the word of God to dictate our way of life. The word of God makes it clear: forgive in order to be forgiven. There is a major consequence attached to unforgiveness: God will not forgive you. If that does not scare you I do not know what else will. One way or another unforgiveness will destroy you. It is a poison. Unforgiveness is closely related to bitterness and anger and we know that they come from the devil. Remember that the devil wants to destroy you. Try not to let the devil dwells in your life. If you are having trouble with forgiveness you must bring in to the Lord in prayers.
Listen, I have personal experience with forgiveness. I know how hard it is to forgive people who try to suck the life out of you. I know what it is like to be humiliated by family members. I know what it is like to be in toxic relationships rather it is with family members or coworkers. It does not matter what others have done. You can control yourself. Choose to forgive so that you can be forgiven. I think some people do not understand forgiveness. To forgive means to not hold anger against the person who hurt you and to let it go. Do not spend anytime to dwell on the pain. Put your feeling under the control of the Holy Spirit. Remember to not forgive is a disobedience to God. So forgive quickly each and every time you are hurt. You do not have to keep the people who hurt you in your life but you can release them. Meaning: You can still love them. You can pray for them but you can keep your distance.
Forgiveness does not mean that you cannot use wisdom. Be wise when it comes to your surrounding. Surround yourself with those who have positive outlook on life. Make sure you are around people who build you up and not tear you down. It is okay to clean up. Separate yourself from those who are negative and bring nothing but pain. You can continue to love them from afar. It is okay to walk away from poisonous relationships. It is not okay to hold a grudge. Remember to release your anger and pain to God. Cultivate a pure heart. Focus on the positive. Be wise!
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
Proverbs 25:2
Praise the Lord!
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