Overcoming Unforgiveness
Yesterday I started an entry about forgiveness and today, Charles Stanley’s In Touch devotional was a key second point, I am republishing it here for you to read, pray about it, and consider it’s application to your life.
Matthew 6:9-15
New Living Translation (NLT)
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Do you constantly struggle to forgive people who have wronged you? If so, you may be of the opinion that forgiveness is simply a feeling one can have in the face of conflict—and that you are incapable of experiencing it. If that’s your mindset, you are operating with a faulty understanding. Genuine forgiveness is not a feeling, but an action.
If you find it hard to forgive others, the following four guidelines can help:
1. Acknowledge and confess an unforgiving spirit. No, it is not always easy to forgive. We are sometimes the target of tremendously hurtful offenses. However, we are not accountable for other people’s behavior; we are responsible only for our own. God commanded us to be loving, forgiving people. If we hold a grudge, that is our problem and no one else’s—we must repent of this sin and ask God to help our unforgiveness.
2. Release the other person. Make a decision to release the offender in your mind. If you find yourself reliving details of the upsetting behavior, force yourself to stop.
3. Forgive the offender forgetfully. By keeping details fresh in your mind, you trap yourself in a cycle of pain. Choose instead to separate the individual from the painful memory.
4. Forgive with finality. Genuine forgiveness is complete. This means that you cannot “forgive” someone and then continually bring the subject up. Forgive him or her, and then move on.
If you’ve been holding onto bitterness, pray for the strength to forgive. Then do it—without delay.
In Him,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 18th, 2013 at 3:30 pm
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God is love
love is acceptance
faults may exist
But no one on earth is perfect.
Each is unique- to be accepted as they are
Well said my brother!
In my case I had wronged another brother in Christ. God began to convict me of this and I even began to have horrible dreams that I should go to the brother and ask forgiveness. Finally I gave in and spoke with the friend and asked forgiveness.
In my case, the friend realized the importance of forgiving me so I could move on with my life and no longer suffer from all the guilt. He told me not to give this another thought and I never had another dream about it. Of course the human side of me still tries to remind me how bad I really am for what I did, but I must continue to look to Christ. I am not perfect by any means but I am totally forgiven.