Here I am all lovin' on Jesus, raising my hands in the air, singing my heart out like He's right above me smiling down and so pleased. Just ready to do His will, whatever He may ask of me...send me where you want me to go, tell me what you would have me do, I'm ready to say yes to anything you want Lord!!!
....then she walks in.
What is she doing here?
I don't want to share my church with her!
My worship time!
My friends!
My life!
All of a sudden, Jesus is no longer the center...she is.
This "whoever she may be" changes your priority and becomes the focal point of all your time, energy, and mental activity. She ultimately becomes who you worship!
I know, I've been there.
There was a time when I was so incredibly engulfed by someone else, that I took my eyes off of God altogether. I may not have said I did at the time, but I did. I thought more of "her" then I did of Him.
Why?
Because this person hurt me.
This person had me entangled in a snare that caused deception and pain. She was someone I trusted and cared for and she let me down. She painfully hurt me in a way that I could not forget or forgive & I didn't want to share my God with her.
Have you been there?
Surely there is someone who you would rather not walk side by side with into the pearly gates, maybe race here there and shove her to the side so you can enter first...
Ok, that's a little harsh.
Maybe you just want to have Jesus brush your hair and tell you what a good girl you are in front of this person, just so she knows how much more He loves you and how it hurt Him that she did you dirty!
That would be just a few random thoughts that go through my mind when I'm spending time on the un-forgiving side of life.
It's true..without sugar-coating it, forgiveness is by far the hardest thing to do next to martyrdom.
It requires a selfless mindset of letting go, offering your shirt when they stole your pants mentality.
It's tough.
It's feels abnormal.
It's requires Jesus.
Why is forgiveness important?
* IT IS YOUR SALVATION
* IT IS YOUR SALVATION
First point, main point, don't want to miss this point!! Salvation! You need it, want it, have to have it...Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
What if they are un-forgiveable, have a nasty attitude, or are not apologetic? What if they are non-deserving or a slanderous mockery of you?
Then you are obedient anyway. It is to your benefit to listen & obey, so you buck up and do it anyway!
If not, you will be "dealt" with...Matthew 18:35 says "So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart."
* IT'S A FREE ANECDOTE
Second point is that it's a remedy that you need to store in your cupboard at ALL times. You will use it often, it's free, and has simple instructions to use.
Only one word describes the inflicted disease. BITTERNESS. This acute problem can hinder many things in your life, YOUR LIFE, note that I'm not talking about the person who you can't forgive. I'm talking about you...me. Your life will be hindered if you choose not to forgive. Worship will be hindered, The Spirit will be hindered, and your relationship with Jesus will be hindered.
How important is it to wake every morning, open the cabinet, and take a swig of this??
It's vital!
Forgiveness can save a marriage, restore a family, heal a friendship, or just free you from keeping your eyes on things outside your priority. It has the power to do much more then you think or see, obeying in this gives you life, disobeying in this can render agony, heartache, depression, and jealousy, but most of all it will keep your focus on something other then what's important. It can separate you from your life source and rob you of your inheritance.
* IT'S A ROUND HOUSE KICK
I've never been able to get my leg up that high but this is one way to round-house kick right into the enemy's mouth! He is the one who reminds you day after day how you have been hurt, spewing details, & forming assumptions. It is his lies that hold you back from freedom. Unforgiveness = Bondage, he knows that! He enjoys to hear you complain about other people, he also likes to hear you reminiscence on how terrible you feel about it all!
Break free, bring up your leg, fling yourself around, and kick him right in his big fat mouth of lies!
I know you have a warrior spirit in you!! Continue to fight until you are free!
Pray for your enemies, pray about them, pray when your crying, pray when your mad..there is never a bad time or a wrong way. It opens up reconciliation not just between people that are hurt, but between you are the Lord. That is what you need. That is what rescued me.
It's a power tool. It's a weapon and Jesus wants you to use it every single day.
Forgiveness is for your sake, your benefit. It will bless you as you use it and it will restore things that are broken that you didn't even know had a fracture. It may not even be a "her" that is afflicting you, it may be a "him" or maybe even a past event or thing you have not let go of. I encourage you to give it to God today. Give it all to Him...then do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, until you are completely free in Christ!
A good place to start if you don't know how to begin is to say something like this,
Lord,
I want to forgive them because you want me to.
It's hard and I need you to help me.
Help me change my mindset and focus on your forgiveness in my life, so that I may understand why it's so important for me to imitate you in this.
Help me pray for them as you would have me to do.
Change my heart to be more like Yours.
Then you could also add something like...
Lord, please forgive them also..for they don't really know what they have done to me.
(I actually know a man who said this right before he was murdered on a cross)
Forgiveness can restore past your wildest dreams, don't miss out on this!
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