Today I will ask You to help me take a step toward releasing bitterness and extending forgiveness Have you noticed—in yourself or in others—that the bitter lack of forgiveness can poison a soul and ruin a life? You and I can hold on to that toxic emotion until it’s hard for us to know where we end and where the bitter unforgiveness begins. We become hostages to the pain of the past, and that pain can take a toll emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and physically. Yes, physically. That fact, confirmed by twentieth-century doctors, was also discussed long ago in the Torah and other Jewish literature. In those ancient writings, for instance, the gallbladder is thought to be the seat of all diseases. In Hebrew, the word for gallbladder is marah, meaning “bitter.” … But forgiving—letting go of the right to get even—can be very hard. After all, it’s human nature to want to hurt the one who hurts us. So often we hold on to our unforgiveness because we just can’t relinquish the idea of retribution. But God claims vengeance for himself (Deuteronomy 32:35). We can’t expect a feel-good ending for all our woes. We simply have to trust that justice will take its God-ordained course. Holy and forgiving God, you know the bitterness and unforgiveness I am holding on to—and I want to be free. Help me let go of my right to get even with the one(s) who hurt me. Help me choose to forgive despite how I feel inside because you command it—and you do so for my good. ~ Sheila Walsh
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 14:46:57 +0000
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