October 18, 2013 Todays Inspiration (To provide feedback, email us at prayer@princeministries.) Freedom in Forgiveness by Dianne Prince Un-forgiveness is refusing to extend to others what God has extended to you. It plants a root of bitterness in your heart. Un-forgiveness is like acid. It has a devastating effect. It is likened to self-inflicted pain, self-imposed bondage and it prevents you from being the person God created you to be. A spirit of un-forgiveness begins with anger. Anger, unchecked, turns into bitterness. Bitterness expresses itself in various forms - blame, revenge, coldness, harshness, sarcasm, pessimism, and a critical spirit. Un-forgiveness negatively affects your prayer life. Mark 11:24-25 tells us, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Un-forgiveness also impacts your worship, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24). Un-forgiveness affects your witnessing; your giving and blocks your spiritual growth. It has a detrimental impact on your physical life and it affects all of your relationships. In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus commands us, “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12) Jesus elaborates upon this verse in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” In other words, un-forgiveness causes my fellowship with Christ to be broken. He is going to hold me accountable for a shattered fellowship with Him. I am responsible to do whatever it takes to mend my bond with Christ. And He will chastise me in order to bring me into right standing with Him. My fellowship with God can not be right, until I get my fellowship with my brother or sister right. Forgiveness is a choice. It is giving up the resentment you have toward someone regardless of what that person has done. When you forgive, you give up the right to get even. You relinquish the desire within you to settle the score. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) Forgiveness does not depend on who was right or who was wrong. You can not wait for the person who has wronged you to step forth and ask for forgiveness. You are to go to Him and begin the process of reconciliation. You are to assume full responsibility to reconcile the relationship. Even if the other person is wrong, many times you have to begin with, “if I have done anything to offend or hurt you, I am sorry.” Or many times, you need to approach the person with, “I apologize if I did anything to contribute to our broken relationship. What do I need to do to get us back on track?” Un-forgiveness is a sin; it is a sign of pride. By not forgiving a person, you are allowing them to have control over your fellowship and relationship with God. By not forgiving a person, you are allowing them to control the results of your prayer life. You are permitting them to impact your worship life. They have power over your witnessing. They are in command of your giving. They influence your spiritual growth. And most of all they are in control of your fellowship with God. Do you want a person to have that much control over your very being? No. If you need to forgive someone, take the first step. Confess it to God. Acknowledge it as a sin. Ask God to show you how to put aside the anger you feel. Ask God to show you how to forgive. Ask Him to reveal to you an act of kindness you can do on the other person’s behalf. Pray for God to bless them. Pray for Him to supply their needs and grant their desires. Forgive, not for the sake of the other person, but forgive for your sake. Why? There is freedom in forgiveness.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 09:49:24 +0000
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