Wednesday, December 2, 2009

If there is ever something that consumes me it is unforgiveness.

It eats me up!

It is time to give it up. It does not bear good fruit in me!

God's central message is forgiveness so it stands to reason that we will have many opportunities to practice forgiving and minister with a forgiving attitude. God has given so many examples of extending mercy in the Bible. I read a particularly moving account in Zech. 3: 3-4 NRSV

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.
And he spoke and said to those who were standing before him saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."

Although Joshua was guilty of not obeying God's commands. God has forgiven and shown mercy. He is then given more powers as a priest than has been previously given to priests. The condition; he must obey. What a beautiful picture - clean garments replacing the filthy and a new improved mission.

I have been meditating and memorizing the scriptures below and find that I cannot allow the wrongful act to fester. I have to give it up. I have to give that person to God. I have to release it to God and believe that I am going to agree with God's way of thinking and acting on the matter. AND, I can't take it back again! This means that some days I am forgiving several times a day!

Col 3:13 NIV
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

James 2:12 - 12 Message
Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.

Romans 2:21 NIV
Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

Unforgiveness is such a time and energy waster. Let's choose to forgive.
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1 comment:

  1. LaurieDecember 7, 2009 at 7:29 AM

    Hi Nicole, thanks for the courage in posting something that can be very uncomfortable to talk about. For me, it was the direction I was looking for and an answer to prayer.

    I had been wrestling with something that happened in my family. Wrestling with whether to say something to the person that hurt me or whether or not just to pray about it. Part of me wanted to show them directly what they did and said was wrong, the other quieter part said not every wrong that has happened to you, needs to be brought to someone's attention.

    So what would it accomplish me pointing out the offense, pointing out the biblical reference for that offense and then making the wound go even deeper. Nothing.

    God showed me in my heart and through this email that I was angry and hurt and that it meant more to Him not to show the person what they did was wrong, but to forgive that person in my heart.

    To love them the way he loves me with unconditional love. To treat them not the way I have been treated but the way He treats me. With undeserving mercy, grace and favor.

    Not easy to do cause our human side wants to stand up for the right and point out the wrong, but what if the world would know us by our love and the forgiveness we extend one another. What if we would stop pointing out the injustices around us and spend more time looking within and praying with a clean and repentant heart.

    So I affirm you and say unforgivenss has no place in my heart or our home as well. I want to begin to look at what needs to change in me before I look at what needs to change in other people.

    Thanks be to God for speaking through you Nicole and affirming in my heart what was right for me.

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