I recently read a quote that really put all of this in perspective. It goes:
"Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison so that your enemy may die."
Are you harboring unforgiveness or resentment in your heart? Your first reaction might be, "NO! I LOVE ALL MEN AS THE BIBLE DIRECTS ME TO!" But then someone brings up an old hurt, or you are put in the path of someone you thought you had forgiven, you feel the bile of hurt and unforgiveness or resentment rising up with in you, that you thought you dealt with already. Suddenly you realize you really did not forgive that person, nor did you even want to. In fact, if you are really honest with yourself, you actually LIKE hugging that grudge or what I refer to as 'nursing that hurt' because your feel justified in those feelings that somehow you have been wronged and someone {and most particularly that person} MUST PAY!!!
We don't really realize how destructive harboring unforgiveness really is until it starts manifesting in our bodies with stress-related ailments or harsher and harsher attitudes. Even unanswered prayer can be attributed to unforgiveness. (As Jesus said, "WHEN YOU PRAY, FORGIVE!") So, WHO is really paying for the resentment/unforgiveness that we hold? Who ends up reaping the results of our doing this? NOT YOUR ENEMY NOR THE ONE YOU CANNOT SEEM TO FORGIVE!! It is you who pays for it, in many, many ways.
Now, think about what it does to your relationship with God... It truly grieves Him when we hold resentment/bitterness/unforgiveness in our hearts. His Word firmly indicates His approach toward unforgiveness as we see in Matthew 18: 21-22.
Verse 21:"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Verse 22: Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Here, Peter is seeking a rule or a way to put a limit on forgiveness. He figures seven times was a lot—possibly more than Jesus would require—but Jesus responds with the call that forgiveness is not limited. It is actually the canceling of a debt. {That debt you always wanted to make them PAY in some way.}
So next time you feel those resentments rising up, remember who it is really hurting.
And...don't forget to forgive yourself...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Unforgiveness & Rresentment...poison to the soul...
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5 comments:
Oh this is good, and {gulp} very timely! How did you know I was fighting resentment today?
Anyway, thanks for the post.
In Him,
Sue
wow, we just discussed this last week at our Bible study and I was just saying how easy it is to love our friends but oh, how difficult it can be to love our enemies or those we are at odds with (like the person who had stolen my McCain yard sign) I was feeling pretty mad and had some not so nice feelings about whoever would do something like that.. it really helped to make me stop and think that.. yes, I need to forgive that person and love them.. even though it is not going to be easy.. fantastic post aunt Marie!!
One more thought.. this really makes me think of the whole situation between my cousin Shelby and her parents.. all that unforgiving is clearly eating them up with anger, resentment, etc. and it was eating me up as well until I gave it to God and asked him to forgive me for the hard feelings I was having towards my aunt and uncle.. it hurt to know that had passed judgement on me but to let it go and forgive them has given me peace and now when I think of them I just feel a sadness, not anger or resentment anymore.. just a sadness for the whole thing and a strong need to pray for them.. but you really are correct.. until you really let it go and forgive.. it eats away at you and of course Satan just loves that and keeps adding fuel to the fire.
Marie, this is the secret to the reality of the Love shown on the cross for us, by our loving and forgiving Savior! After my divorce, I felt like I was entitled to holding an unforgiving heart toward my ex, as what he did far surpassed my faults - or so I clung to until my heart was burdened and overcome with a bitterness over my "wasted years" as I referred to them. Now I realize that I wasn't wising up or being a smart woman of the millenium, I was just hurting more and more, until I let it go at the Cross of Christ. Now, I focus on the fact that if the Bible says we can do it, no matter how difficult it seems, if He said we can do it, we must be able to do so! Thanks for this loving and most powerful Post! Thanks for the every day need to keep on forgiving,
I read this post on Thursday and didn't leave a comment; but I felt I must come back and say something here because guess what my Pastor spoke about yesterday at the church service? YUP...forgiveness. I love how God directs our steps this way and confirms it out of the mouth of two or three witnesses! Thanks for sharing this message, Marie and don't ever stop following your heart to do so.
Mary
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