Spiritual Warfare #30

Continuing the chapter on Unforgiveness by Charles Stanley
Handling the Hurts We Feel
There are three parts to uncovering the landmine of unforgiveness. Each one is the result of a godly choice.
1. Choose to let go of every feeling of resentment.
2. Lay down the right to get even. God doesn't let the person who harmed you off the hook. You forgive because this is what He desires for you to do.
An unforgiving spirit binds us to the abuser. We may think that in order for the person to be punished, we need to remain angry, but all we are doing is hurting ourselves even more. You extend forgiveness to another person even though he or she may not deserve or ask for this. You are responding like God-like Christ and like the person you were created to be.
3. Allow God to deal with the person who has hurt or abused you. ...you cannot go forward if you are only looking behind. Many times the person who has caused the trauma we feel may not even know what he or she has done or, worse, care.

Unforgivness prevents you from worshipping God.

Forgiveness: Don't Overlook This
First of all, if you handle hurt in the right way, you will turn to Him and not rely on angry emotions to lift you up. Feelings of anger and resentment only tear down what God wants to establish. And He wants you to become a person who forgives and loves others the same way He does. But you cannot do this if you cling to feelings of unforgiveness.
Another thing you need to consider is this: if you have never been hurt, you will not understand the concept of forgiveness. To forgive, you must suffer, and you must also receive forgiveness for any wrong you have committed.

Remember what I said earlier: whatever has your attention has you. If you are captivated by God's love, you will live with the light of His love burning in your heart. You will know joy, peace, and contentment. However, if you are angry, butter, and resentful, you will struggle with feelings of unforgiveness, anxiety, and fear. Your heart will not be at rest, and you will face emotional and physical problems.

The moment we begin to believe that we have a right to be angry is the moment we have switched from following God's lead to setting the pace for our own lives.

Good stuff today. Tomorrow we'll talk about the peace that forgiveness brings. As I read part of this chapter yesterday, I felt prompted to forgive some people. I knew I was stuck in a cycle of resentment and anger and even disbelief and I prayed and forgave these people. Since then, I've felt so much lighter in my spirit. It isn't a concern. I'm not playing conversations in my head anymore. It's the best thing you can do if you haven't sat down and made a conscious decision to forgive.

I remember going through my separation with my first husband in 1992. I knew the first thing I had to do was forgive him for cheating, leaving, the verbal abuse, the lack of financial responsibility. It set me free to be the best mom I could be to my kids. The kids weren't raised in an environment of dad-bashing. When they were old enough, they were able to make their own evaluation of the kind of person their dad was, and they have done a good job at seeing the truth. Once he got over his feelings of guilt, he was able to tell me what a great job I was doing raising our kids. His parents said this too. The rewards of forgiveness reached so much further than I could have ever imagined. Healthy kids raised in an peaceful home, a good relationship with their dad, what more could a divorced woman ask for?