Forgiveness

Greetings!!!

Have you ever cleared an area for a new garden? As I was expanding my garden recently, it seemed like I was hitting more rocks than soil. I had to get a pick in order to get under the rocks and pry them up out of the dirt. It was a lot of work that have not yet completed. As I was digging I remembered an object lesson on unforgiveness from my "Journey to Joy" Bible study. The class had to think of past hurts and pick rocks for each hurt, and wrap them in a cloth. Afterwards, we had to carry our rocks with us all the time until we were able to forgive the people who caused the hurts.

The Scripture has much to say about the importance of forgiveness. One that you will probably recognize is found in Matthew 6:9-16. Jesus said,

"Pray, then, in this way:

'Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen].'

"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, them your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

Wow! Holding onto unforgiveness is a costly thing! As I dug in my garden thinking about not forgiving past hurts, these thought came to mind:

Unforgiveness is a heavy load, greater than you were meant to bear.

When unforgiveness is held onto, hardness will develop in your heart.

That hardness effects not only your relationship with people, but also your relationship with God.

Sometimes it is a lot of work to make the choice to forgive.

Unlike the rocks in my garden, the rocks of unforgiveness will grow harder and larger with time if left alone.

Just like the rocks in my garden, some of which were very large, there seldom is just one. When you hold onto unforgiveness as if it were your right, there is usually more than one person you need to forgive and more than one person affected by your unforgiveness.

The most astonishing thought that came was that unforgiveness puts a barrier between you and God.

What hurts are locked up in your heart? Who do you need to forgive? Do not wait. Make the choice to forgive today.

The LORD bless you with choosing to forgive.

Love,

Ruth