Are you a Forgiver?

"For if you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.15But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offences"                     

                                                                  Matthew 6:14-15  CSB

This scripture is common to us all, we all need some help in this area. RT Kendall quotes from his book - Total Forgiveness, 'The first principal of total forgiveness is, that we tell nobody 

what 'they' did to us'.  As soon as someone has done us a wrong, we feel like we want to share this with a trusted friend. But, this is not the way to address this issue, because, it pretty soon gets on the gossip train and appears on News at Ten later on. (You know how gossip works). The problem is, it is difficult not to act in this way; we have been severely hurt or wronged and the world should know about what this person has done to us. The world doesn't have to know at all; only Jesus needs to know as you share this with Him and agree to forgive them. Failure to do this, can get us into grave circumstances with Jesus Himself. Let's not forget that He told us: 'Do not judge, so that you won't be judged'. 2 'For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use'. Matt 7:1-2. 

So be very careful here.

Do you know that the only place bitterness can live is in your memory? The only power it can have over us, is the power we give it. And what's more, if we don't forgive then God will not forgive us for our daily sin either. Holding  grudges are always a problem where unforgiveness is concerned. Someone may have done you a wrong lately. The thing is, every time you see this person, it reminds you of what they did to you. Alternatively, the wrong may have happened years ago and they have may have moved away, seemingly, not punished for the wrong they did to you. However, your memory reminds you periodically and even though you don't see them any longer, you still feel bitter just at the thought of it all. You may have psychological conversations about them in your head, and this proves that the grudge is still there, rooted so deep. 

Be honest with yourself, isn't it time that you let this go? The guilty party may never know that you are feeling the way you are; they've moved on and, to be brutally honest, so should you. Why? Because it is holding you back. God can't use you while you're feeling the way you are. In a way, you are being a hypocrite, pretending that all is well when, it isn't. The best thing that you can do, is to give it to Jesus right now. If you agree, pray this with me:

Lord Jesus, you know the hurt I/we felt when ...................hurt me/us some time earlier. Lord, I/we have held a grudge against them; I/we have judged them and spoke out about them and I/we have refused to forgive them. Lord, I/we repent of this right now and as I/we forgive them, I/we ask that you will forgive me/us. In Jesus' name. Amen

Now you are forgiven, so move on.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

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