forgive...

something that may not be easy to do, but if we want to receive God’s forgiveness, we must forgive one another.

have you ever made a mistake so terrible that you shocked yourself? have you done a deed so inexplicable that you wonder why God continues to bless you? when you sin, do you apologize to God and pray for Him to forgive you of those sins? 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

likewise, when someone has hurt us by their words and/or actions and it crushes us to our core, they too should be forgiven. how can we expect God to forgive us if we choose not to forgive others? don’t continue in 2010 to harbor resentful feelings which allow you to become caged in an emotional prison. let go of the things that hold you bondage and prevent you from living a rewarding life full of peace and true happiness. walking in the strength of forgiveness sets us free to enjoy the life that God intended us to live.

how foolish and immature of us to knowingly be at odds with someone and refuse to “apologize or forgive them first” because “they hurt us first so they should be the one to apologize.” please let that go. are you so stubborn, selfish and self-centered that you can’t recognize when God is trying to get your attention – to use you to maybe show someone else the light of salvation? could this be a test administered to you by God and you concede failure and defeat? when you continue to hold on to past hurt, resentment, pain, anger, revenge, and bad feelings – you deceive yourself into thinking that you’re living a fulfilled life, its only a caricature of the real thing. please, let that go.

Mark 11:25-26 (Amplified) "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop--leave it, let it go--in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your (own) failings and shortcomings and let them drop. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings."

i earnestly pray that this post reaches someone who truly needs to understand what it means to forgive – the beauty, strength, maturity and growth it takes to forgive. we should never believe that to apologize and forgive resigns us to weakness. when we don’t forgive one another then it hinders our praise and our relationship with God. if we say we love our brothers and sisters but we can’t apologize and/or forgive then our misguided, half-baked idea of what true, genuine and sincere love really means is only a distorted reality.

Matthew 6:14-15, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

our earthly life is but an ephemeral journey and we should make a positive impact while God has given us the opportunity to do so. if God was to call you home right now, at the very moment that you read this post –how can He receive you into His kingdom with an unrepentant heart? how can you stand before Him knowing that you harbor anger, resentment and animosity and did not seek to resolve the issue? if God can forgive us for all the terrible sins that we have committed against Him then who are we to not forgive others?

give the gift of forgiveness. as you walk thru 2010, forgive someone today and walk in your deliverance.