The F word

       Do we know what it means to forgive? Do we understand that forgiveness is not weakness? Forgiveness is not overlooking the fact that someone has wronged you. It will not lessen the extremity of the situation, but it will lessen the stress of it! It is freeing, brings peace, and is one great characteristic of being a follower of Jesus. Forgiveness is also hard. It is hard because we want revenge. We want answers. We want to know why did this person choose to hurt me? Why did this person not care? We want them to feel what we feel. We want them to understand the hurt we have to deal with, but guess what? They never will because they are not you. Revenge is nothing more than a weak act of judgement that will do more harm than good. Did your pain stop? Did your frustration disappear? No, but what can ease the pain? Forgiving them. Forgiveness is powerful. It is the ability to relinquish the control of what someone did to you over your mind, your life! People are walking around broken, dismissive, and bitter because someone still has power over their emotions. Don't be a prisoner, a slave, held captive by what others have done to you. It is okay to hurt, but don't allow that hurt to take over who you are as a person. I am definitely a witness that God WILL fight your battles and vengeance is ALWAYS His. Not forgiving is not trusting God. Yeah, it goes that deep. I mean can we honestly say we trust Him if we don't trust the process of forgiveness? You know that is a part of Him. So to deny that part of Him being worked in you is to deny Him completely!
           Love is amazing! It is beautiful in every aspect. The Bible says it like this, Love can cover a multitude a sins. I mean isn't that what Love did on The Cross?  So when someone mistreats you, express your feelings, cry, be angry, and forgive. They already hurt your feelings. So why allow them to CONTROL your feelings? Be free! Forgive. Jesus forgives us EVERY day and He can help us forgive others. Don't you know if you don't forgive He won't forgive you? You may or may not have read or heard the story in the Bible, Matt 18:21-35 to be exact,  which in a nutshell talks about this servant who was released from his debt from the king. Okay, the king forgives him; he is now free. So, in his newfound freedom he runs into someone who owes him money and the guy did not have the money. What does he decide to do? In poor judgment, he chooses to the throw the man in jail. Man, when the king found out he was hot! He could not believe this same man he forgave could not forgive his fellow man. So what happens next? He is punished for not being forgiving. So answering my question, Jesus will NOT forgive us if we CHOOSE to walk around with unforgiving hearts. It is only right because God is RIGHTEOUS. He exudes it. How can we say we love him and do not what He says?! But that's another post. There are plenty of sanctimonious people going to hell for unforgiving hearts. Forgiveness is very important. It can cost you your natural life meaning physically living, but you are not living your best life because of what others have done to you and your spiritual life meaning you can eternally reflect on how you did not forgive others in hell. So ask yourself. Who do you need to forgive? Pray about it, pray some more, and do it. Let God be The Captain of your heart and stop being held captive by others.

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/iUV5T9JIJZ0&source=uds

                                                             
                     
                                                                    Glory be to God!