How can we expect to receive forgiveness from God if we are constantly holding onto anger, bitterness, and hatred? Forgiveness is one of the most important, and powerful ways to overcome the difficulties that we face in our day to day lives. It is something that does not come naturally to us, our natural instinct is to return pain for pain, hurt for hurt, and an eye for an eye. But it takes effort to forgive. It takes conscious effort and work to look past whatever someone has done to harm us and say, I forgive you, and let go.
Many times those who do us wrong are not even sorry for what they have done. Why should we forgive someone who hasn't even apologized or asked to be forgiven? As a matter of fact, in some cases they may even be proud of the ways that they have wronged you... But forgiveness is the ultimate payback and that is why we must forgive.
When we forgive those who are obviously wrong, we are saying, whatever your doing is NOT going to destroy my mood, my hope, and my passion to live my life in peace and love. Forgiveness cuts deeper into our enemies than even the sharpest sword ever could. It makes an open wound directly through the superficial shields that they have put up that helps them EXCUSE the ways that they have wronged you and others, it cuts them where it hurts the most, it cuts them in their spirits.
There is a reason why the bible says to "Bless those who persecute you and do not curse them" (Romans 12:14). Bless and do NOT curse. In every situation of frustration and stress we can either curse, which is giving the situation over to the enemy and our natural instincts, or to bless, which is giving it to God. I don't know about you, but I believe that God can do much better with my situations of conflict than handing it over to anything else.
By forgiving those who persecute you, you are essentially blessing them (which in my interpretation of the word "to bless" is to freely give something good that is unmerited, undeserved, and unexpected). When you choose to give them something GOOD after they have given you something BAD, you are exposing their sins for what they really are, and allowing them to openly recognize their shame.
The greatest example of forgiveness that we can imitate and admire is within the Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ. One example of the forgiveness that He displayed and its power, is the fact that He was actually chased out of cities for spreading His message of forgiveness... Chased out of cites all for telling people that they are forgiven.
Why? Because it is one of the main things that separates a man from God. By Jesus offering this message of eternal salvation and forgiveness of sins, he was essentially exposing our shame, exposing how human and ungodly we are as people. He was reminding us of how far we have fallen from the image that God originally created us in. Taking away all the cover ups and excuses that we use to explain why we do all the dirty and terrible things that we do. He was essentially calling us out on our wrongs.
There were those who reacted in the right way, which was to accept their shame and receive with gratefulness that God had chosen to bless us with His forgiveness; then those who reacted the wrong way, and became offended by the fact that their evil deeds were exposed. These people would rather hold onto their excuses rather than to admit that they were shameful and wrong. They couldn't have that message spread in their cities, they would loose too much earthly "profit" gained from corruption and sin...
Jesus called everyone out and preached this message to show how powerful forgiveness is! And to display the fact that He was not just a man, but that He was acting on behalf of God. When we choose to forgive we are using whatever little part of God that is left in us, tapping into His power, and choosing to expose sin for what it really is!
Do not over look the power of forgiveness... It is the only weapon that when it is used, it is always guaranteed to heal while doing damage at the same time!
Take this weapon in your life and use it to defeat every enemy that stands in your way. Also it is MOST important to RECEIVE forgiveness when this weapon is used against you. By doing so you will not be a victim but you are allowing it to heal you! To heal your shame, heal your hurt, and heal your wounds of failure and defeat.
Stop holding onto your bitterness, shame, and guilt because it doesn't measure up to the joy of being fully forgiven and redeemed! Never underestimate the power of forgiveness.
#ProjectEgpyt
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