In order to make this message not only minister to those of you that read it, I had to take into consideration my own life and actions that I show towards others. I pray that this message ministers to you as well as to myself.
Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV) "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."
One of the hardest things to do is to forgive. Take a moment to think about it...how long have you been mad at someone for something they may or may not have done on purpose? Don't worry, I'll wait. It's human nature to hold grudges, to be mad and not to forgive.
Mark 11:25 (NIV) "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins"
If I could reach out to the world to read this blog today, that would be great. Do you know how smoothly the world would run if we decided to truly forgive people. I took it upon myself to think of the people that I know and that I am mad at and have come up with a few questions that are good to ask.
1. Who am I mad at?
2. Why am I mad at them?
3. What am I going to do next?
I am going to be the first to say that I keep grudges. It's not healthy and it's not helping in any way. My freshman year, I had a friend that did me really wrong. For the longest time I would intentionally be rude to her, say things behind her back, and be very hateful to her. Thanks be to God for coming to my life and putting it on my heart to change my ways. Even though being mad at her was valid, I should not have treated her they way that she treated me. "Two wrongs don't make a right." This I know and I began to feel convicted for the way I was treating her. Conviction from the Lord is a hard thing to go through.
Knowing that I was doing wrong, I did what God told me to do. I not only apologized for my actions, I forgave her for the things that she did to me. Never had I felt a burden lift from my spirit that way before. God gave me a chance to make amends for my wrong and try to fix the problem. What resulted from my forgiving her, is another story in itself. Even though we were both in the wrong, I stepped up to apologize. She got even more mad because she thought I was trying to be "holier than thou" on her. When the Lord says move, you move, and that is what I did.
Well what is next?
I'm glad you asked! Even though I could not mend the friendship between her and me, I did as God told me. The next step is to let go, and let God. I know that God has told me to forgive but that doesn't mean that it will be reciprocated. Not everyone one is living in God's will and not everyone is as willing to let go and give it to a Higher power.
Some people in your life are not to be in your life. God will pluck them out like weeds in a garden. The deeper that root is in the garden, the harder it is to take that weed out.
Why should you forgive?
Again, I'm glad you ask! Some of the last words that Jesus said on the cross before he said, "it is finished", was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." If Jesus can ask for forgiveness of others while they are beating Him, chastising Him, and hanging Him on the cross, it's a no brainer why we should forgive people. Not all people are as willing to admit their wrong doings but you still have to forgive them and let God deal with them. It is not your duty to tell people what they are doing wrong. Just pray for them and let it to God.
I hope that this blog was portrayed the way that it was meant to do. God bless you and keep you.
I will end with this quote and will be on my way: "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Gandhi
Let go, let God.
