February 26, 2004

Unforgiveness is tormenting.  When someone has wronged us the emotions of anger, bitterness or resentment can be overwhelming.  They are also tormenting.  Jesus had much to say about forgiving those who sin against us.  It may be such a hard thing to do at times but it helps to understand that when we do not forgive someone it’s not hurting them, it’s hurting us.

Any time we hold on to bitter feelings against another person we are cutting ourselves off from the grace of God.  We are cutting ourselves off from His flow of forgiveness towards us.  That’s not something we want to do!  If we sit in judgment against another person for the wrong they’ve done to us then we better not make the slightest mistake because that judgment is still in our life.  And when we sin we don’t want judgment, we want mercy!

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Luke 6:37

Not only does unforgiveness keep judgment hanging over our head but it also keeps peace and joy out of our lives.  The thoughts surrounding their actions against us will plague us and torment us.  It will consume your entire thought life if you don’t learn to let it go.  We’ve got to let it go and really that’s what forgiveness means.  It means you let it go and you don’t hold it against that person any longer.

Now, if someone has hurt you or hurt someone you love quite severely then please understand that forgiving them doesn’t mean that you have to hang out with them.  It doesn’t mean that you have to continue to associate with them.  But make sure that you’ve really forgiven them and let it go.  Don’t continue to look for opportunities to get little ‘digs’ in here and there.  Don’t look for ways to make them feel bad or point out their faults.  Let it go, disassociate with them if you need to and pray for them.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:44:

You know I think that many times if we would look at others who have wronged us and been cruel against us we would find that they may be reacting—even though wrongfully—to something we have done against them.  We are so quick to judge others and point out their hurtful words and actions against us but we might want to look at what we’ve done to provoke them or to bring them to the place of frustration and anger they are at that caused them to lash out at us.  I’m not excusing their wrong, but I’m saying we may have had more to do with it then we’ve been able to see.

When we react according to the Word of God with love, forgiveness, temperance and mercy then God is free to move on our behalf.  If we harbor resentment in our heart then we both are wrong—the one who wronged us as well as us.  And when that happens, our own prayers are hindered.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:18

We want the Lord to hear us when we pray!  But more importantly than that we want to please the One who has done so much for us, don’t you agree?  If you’ve had trouble forgiving then remember that we do so out of our love for the Lord.  Because we want to please Him, and it pleases Him when we live in peace with one another.