I'm forgiven...but you're not??
None of us is perfect. We are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) So if God is willing to forgive us...who are we to withhold forgiveness from each other?
A recent discussion with my ladies small group Bible study really got me thinking about this subject. Forgiveness, just like love, is a decision - not an emotion. Deciding to forgive someone for hurting you doesn't mean that the pain and heartache just blow away like a tumbleweed. Some pains may take years to get rid of.
Deciding to forgive is more like trying to chop down a tree. You can get rid of the biggest, most visible part, but after a while little stems start popping back up from the ground and you can keep mowing them over so you can't see it...but until you deal with the roots, it's never truly gone.
God is the ultimate landscaper. He knows how to deal with pesky roots so that the things we want to be rid of will be gone...forever. The key word here is WANT. You have to want to be rid of it. Some people (and I've known a few) would rather hang on to a past hurt because it somehow makes them feel some sort of control. They can use it as an excuse for future behaviors.
Deciding to forgive takes courage, but it is liberating. Beware though...Satan will be there to remind you and insist that you are entitled to your pain and anger. But the Bible says we can rebuke him in the name of Jesus and he has to flee from us! Not 'he might leave us alone.' He HAS to FLEE! Hallelujah!
He will come back. You just keep rebuking him and refusing to pick up the pain that you left at the foot of the cross and you know what? Eventually he will give up and move on to someone else - just like those old junior high bullies. Because that's exactly what Satan is...a bully.
So put up your dukes, sisters! And keep on fighting.
Be blessed!
A recent discussion with my ladies small group Bible study really got me thinking about this subject. Forgiveness, just like love, is a decision - not an emotion. Deciding to forgive someone for hurting you doesn't mean that the pain and heartache just blow away like a tumbleweed. Some pains may take years to get rid of. Deciding to forgive is more like trying to chop down a tree. You can get rid of the biggest, most visible part, but after a while little stems start popping back up from the ground and you can keep mowing them over so you can't see it...but until you deal with the roots, it's never truly gone.
God is the ultimate landscaper. He knows how to deal with pesky roots so that the things we want to be rid of will be gone...forever. The key word here is WANT. You have to want to be rid of it. Some people (and I've known a few) would rather hang on to a past hurt because it somehow makes them feel some sort of control. They can use it as an excuse for future behaviors.
"Remember when you ____(fill in the offense of your choice)______, that's why I did it."What they fail to realize is that letting that unforgiveness fester in their heart is toxic to the soul. It will eat away at them and they don't even realize it. I've heard it described like this: unforgiveness is like eating rat poison and waiting for the other person to die. It just won't work!
Deciding to forgive takes courage, but it is liberating. Beware though...Satan will be there to remind you and insist that you are entitled to your pain and anger. But the Bible says we can rebuke him in the name of Jesus and he has to flee from us! Not 'he might leave us alone.' He HAS to FLEE! Hallelujah!
He will come back. You just keep rebuking him and refusing to pick up the pain that you left at the foot of the cross and you know what? Eventually he will give up and move on to someone else - just like those old junior high bullies. Because that's exactly what Satan is...a bully.
So put up your dukes, sisters! And keep on fighting.
Be blessed!
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