By Andrea Merrell
Forgive, and
you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:37 NKJV
My emotions bounced back and forth between anger
and resentment. My spirit assured me I needed to forgive, but my flesh screamed
all the reasons not to forgive: She hurt
me. She betrayed my trust. Her words cut too deep.
But the simple truth was … I didn’t want to.
As I tried to pray, my flesh and spirit continued
their debate. I argued with God. “I know your Word says to forgive so I’ll be forgiven. But she
doesn’t deserve it, Lord.”
Do
you?
Those two words were soft and gentle but carried a
punch. At that moment, my resolve crumbled. All my excuses came tumbling
down. I thought about all the times I had asked the Lord to forgive me. He
never gave me a laundry list of all the reasons He shouldn’t. He never
questioned whether or not I deserved it. And He never told me to wait or come
back another time after I’d had a chance to think about what I’d done.
Unforgiveness is a deadly poison. It acts as a cancer
that spreads through our spirit, our soul, and even our body. If left unchecked,
it turns into a root of bitterness—a disease that affects everything we think,
say, and do. It robs us of our peace and slowly eats away our spiritual
well-being.
Forgive
and you will be forgiven. Those are powerful words. In truth, none of us are
worthy or deserving, but God loves us so much that He gave … and His love just
keeps on giving.
We
should always be quick to forgive, just as the Lord is quick to forgive us when
we ask. When we bless and pray for those who have wronged or offended us, we
find ourselves back on the pathway of peace.
Don’t
allow unforgiveness to poison your soul. And while you’re at it … be sure to forgive
yourself.
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