Take the High Road

 

By Andrea Merrell

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

and his ears are open to their prayers.

1 Peter 3:9 NLT

 

My emotions were a jumbled mess. I didn’t know whether I was hurt or angry. Probably both. How could she possibly say something like that to me?

My flesh wanted to lash out. To retaliate. I wanted to make her feel as bad as she made me feel. But when I shared my situation with a close friend, her words were simple: take the high road.

As I prayed about my attitude, Scriptures shot through my mind and heart. Don’t repay evil for evil. Forgive. Bless your enemies. Walk in love. Don’t try to avenge yourself; the battle is the Lord’s.

It all came together in 1 Peter 3: 8-9 (NLT):

Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.  For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

God’s Word is clear, and He gives us a choice to obey.

I choose the high road. How about you?

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Dave Hoefler.

The Prison of Unforgiveness

By Andrea Merrell

The woman swiped at tears as she described her dream.

The cell was dark and dirty. Pictures hung from the bars surrounding me, all memories of my past. Terrible, hurtful memories that tormented me. I cried out for help, but no one came. I looked out the tiny window and saw the sunlight. Heard the laughter of those who were free. My heart longed for peace. I wanted my life back.

This was a reoccurring dream. She was securely locked in a prison of unforgiveness—a prison of her own making. Forgiving others for the abuse she had suffered was something she could not, would not do. The sad part is that as long as she refuses to forgive her offenders, she will remain in bondage.

I can so relate to her story. Can you? When people purposely say and do terrible things to us, we feel betrayed. It’s easy to develop a victim mentality, telling ourselves the offender doesn’t deserve our forgiveness.

But who suffers? We do. Our heart becomes hard as the painful memories continue to haunt us. We lose our peace and our joy. And the worst part? We feel as if God has abandoned us.

Jesus has a lot to say about the subject. Forgive and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37 NKJV). And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us (Luke 11:4 NLT). He even asked the Father to forgive those who beat Him and put Him on the cross (Luke 23:34). What a beautiful example.

Forgiving others is powerful. It is the key that unlocks the door of the prison cell. That’s the first step. The second is to bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you (Luke 6:28 NKJV). That’s when our peace and joy return. That’s when we know we’re truly free.

If you’re locked in a prison of unforgiveness, God is handing you the key today. You can be free in the blink of an eye.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and sakhorn38.)

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Forgiving others is powerful. It is the key that unlocks the door to the prison of unforgiveness. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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The Pathway to Peace

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.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and paisan191.)

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Don't allow unforgiveness to poison your soul and steal your peace. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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Conditional Forgiveness

By Andrea Merrell

“I’ll forgive her when she apologizes and not before!”

A statement like that is usually born out of the heat of the moment, or a long, festering period of anger and resentment. Even though it’s totally understandable, it’s not healthy or scriptural.

If Jesus had waited on all those who persecuted, tormented, and crucified Him to come and confess their wrongdoing, there would have been no forgiveness. Jesus responded in love and in accordance to His Father’s Word.

The truth is people need love and forgiveness the most when they deserve it the least—even you and me. When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” He was teaching us that the ability to pardon the sins of others is an act of faith and sheer obedience. It is not conditional or based on the response of the offender. In fact, it’s not for their benefit … it’s for ours.

God tells us to forgive so we can be forgiven. So how is your forgive-o-meter? Are you putting conditions and unrealistic expectations on others? If you are, or if you’re having trouble getting past a painful situation, think about all God has done for you. Think about the sacrifice Jesus made so all your sins could be washed away by His shed blood. Call to remembrance all the things you have been forgiven for.

God shows each of us love and forgiveness the most when we deserve it the least, and He expects us to do the same.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/StuartMiles.)

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Have you checked your forgive-o-meter lately? via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

God shows us love and forgiveness the most when we deserve it the least. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

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Forgive AND Forget

By Andrea Merrell

 And I will forgive their wickedness,

and I will never again remember their sins.

Hebrews 8:12 NLT

“I might forgive them, but I’ll NEVER forget what they did!”

How many times have you heard someone say this? Maybe you’ve said it yourself. I know there have been times in my life when people and situations caused me to think that way.

Mental and emotional wounds go deep. Betrayal—especially by a trusted friend—cuts to the core of our being and lodges there. The Bible says we are to forgive in order to be forgiven. Yet, even when we can manage to offer forgiveness, sometimes the memories of the pain float to the surface when we least expect it. So, what’s the answer? How do we “forget” the offence?

God says, And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins. Never? Seriously? Does God have a bad memory? Is He forgetful? Is His mind so full—trying to keep up with all the messes His kids have made—that He just can’t keep track of everything?

NO! Absolutely not.

God tells us He will forget our sins. It is His decision. He chooses not to remember, dwell on, or rehearse our failures and shortcomings. He chooses to put those things securely under the shed blood of Jesus … which is where they belong. When we refuse to forget the sins of others—and our own sins—and continue to rehash the gory details, we are actually questioning God’s mercy and the truth of His Word. We also give the enemy ammunition to attack us with guilt and condemnation. One writer says, “When you keep rehearsing your past, you not only keep it alive; you empower it. What you keep on deposit, you’re more likely to withdraw and act on in a moment of weakness.”

When we mess up or someone offends us, we must make a choice to forgive. The good news is that we can also choose to forget.

Bottom line? Forgive others. Forgive yourself. Don’t hold on to the past. Make a decision to forget and let it go—once and for all. You were created to walk in God’s mercy, grace, and freedom. Why not start today?

(Photos courtesy of Freedigitalphotos, Stuart Miles, and jesadaaphorn.)

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Is it possible to forgive AND forget? via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

Rehearsing your past keeps it alive ... and empowers it. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

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