One of the biggest lies that we believe is that we lose our power when we forgive someone who has wronged us. We feel that if we forgive them we let them off the hook, and we definitely don’t want that! We want to see them pay for whatever they have done. They've caused me suffering, now let me see them suffer.
That kind of thinking is natural to us and normal, but it's absolutely wrong. In Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right....but it ends in death" and if you need reinforcement of that thought it is repeated in Provers 16:25.
In our Bible Study last week we were looking at the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35. A king wanted to settle his accounts so started calling in his debtors. A man came who owed him a colossal amount of money. He was afraid and he begged for more time to settle. The king was kinder than that, he forgave him his whole debt. Now you'd think the man would be humbled and softened by such wonderful grace, but no! He went right out, found a man who owed him a small debt and grabbing him by the throat demanded payment. Really??!!
When the king heard about this man's cruelty he was angry and called him back. He reminded the man of the great debt he had been forgiven and said, "If this is how you repay others when you have been forgiven you shall be given over to the torturers to be tortured until you can repay your debt.
Harsh? Maybe, but it was just. Jesus went on to to say that God would treat us in the same way if we refused to forgive those who trespass against us. Wow! God is a God of mercy but also a God of justice. We cannot harbour unforgiveness without consequences. God always wants the best for his children and he doesn't want us to suffer. The result of unforgiveness is just as it was the unforgiving servant. We end up suffering at the hand of Satan who is out to rob, kill and destroy whenever he gets opportunity. We give him opportunity when we refuse to forgive. It has been said that holding unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die!
In Ephesians 4:27 we are warned not to give our enemy a foothold. Unforgiveness is a foothold so if you say "I will never forgive......" you are on dangerous ground. You will suffer the consequences. Perhaps you don't say "I will never forgive...." but you say instead, "I can never forgive....". That won't stand up in God's court because all you have to do is ask him to help you to forgive. By forgiving someone, you are not saying that what they did was right or okay. You are saying, "I am not your judge, God is, he will deal with you." If you do this, you will have peace. Do it for your own sake!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I choose to obey you and I want to forgive......please help me.
Please forgive me for holding this against them. Amen
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