Forgiveness

“THE ROOTS OF BITTERNESS RUN DEEP AND DEADLY; YET TRUE FORGIVENESS WILL KILL THEM ALL.” “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15). The word trespasses here refers to transgression or violation, so in essence, Jesus is warning us in order to receive grace freely, we must freely give grace. All too often, we hear from the wronged they deserve the right to be angry; they are, after all, the victims. In the church today, I believe we have far too many who are walking in unforgiveness, which results in a loss of pure fellowship with God. This means, due to their lack of forgiveness, He is unable to forgive them–a vicious and nonproductive circle. Another result of lack of forgiveness is it can lead to bitterness, and bitterness, like a weed, takes root quickly and is very hard to destroy. The crop of bitterness is torment, which grows all too quickly; it multiplies with little help, growing in the slightest of cracks. Beware of bitterness! I personally believe mental institutions all over the world are filled with bitter, tormented people, most of who don’t remember why their anger runs so deep. So here we sit, wondering why God is not speaking to us, getting angry with Him, when all along we are the ones to blame because of our unwillingness to forgive those who have offended us, and, all too often, they don’t even know or remember they have. Then, others bind us up both in the spirit and in the flesh, when freedom is only a prayer away! Recently, a person very close to me shared how, after years of being influenced by the pain inflicted upon her by a former stepmother, she came to terms and decided to openly and directly seek her forgiveness. After a few moments of sharing with her, the former stepmother said, “Pardon me, but do I know you?” All of the pain, the hurt, and the fears suddenly made no sense–this woman didn’t even remember! Don’t let your enemies hold you in bondage; take away their power with the same forgiveness and grace Jesus used to take away your sins. MY PRAYER Father, help us to not hold onto the hurt, pain, and bitterness heaped upon us by others, and if I have a root of bitterness, please show me Lord that it may be uprooted forever. Help me Lord to walk in the freedom of forgiveness. Amen.