Bitter or Better?

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

“Lord, there is no way I can forgive them for what they did to me! Please don’t ask me to excuse this. You saw it…You know how unfair it was and besides it goes against everything You have taught me.” Sound familiar?

Jesus is our greatest example of ‘how to’ forgive sin. Now He tells us to practice ‘how to’ do the same if we want to be like Him. He didn’t say, “Easy is it for the man who forgives.” What He did say, “If you forgive…I’ll forgive.”

Total Forgiveness by R. T. Kendall is one of the most powerful books on forgiveness. Dr. D. James Kennedy asked in his book's Forward, “Are you forgiving totally…completely…utterfly…absolutely…unconditionally…entirely…wholly?”

R. T. speaks deeper on the topic, “The person who gains the most from forgiveness is the person who does the forgiving. Release them, and you will be set free.”

Bitterness can make us sick from the inside out and easily turn us into someone we don’t want to be. Forgiveness is not living in denial as a way to deal with the pain either. True forgiveness is giving the situation over to Jesus completely so He can do His powerful work in all hearts involved; not just theirs, but yours too...'all' involved.

How will you know you no longer hold tightly to bitterness? You’re thoughts won’t be consumed with how to get even or ways to prove your innocence. The Bible says real love keeps no record of wrongs. The deliberate decision to forgive frees you to open your heart to love and be loved.

Do you want to experience the intimacy of the Holy Spirit? Then, allow Him to teach you how to forgive…wholly. He knows it’s not easy and that’s why He’s there to help you through the process until it is finished. He wants you to know how good it feels to be free.

“Who do you need to forgive today? Write their name(s) down where you can see them regularly and tell the Lord to help you forgive. Continue the effort until it’s done then prepare your heart for a new you!”