Madeline had been angry with her mother for years. She had been hurt by the fact her mother abandoned her at the young age of seven, never to return to raise her again. Now an adult, Madeline's heart had grown hardened through bitterness caused by unforgiveness. Even though she was reared by her loving grandmother, she still felt rejected by the woman who birthed her without any real explanation. Without any contact with her mother, how was she to move on?
Perhaps we may find ourselves in situations where we are still dwelling on past hurts, broken promises, unrealized dreams, and overall rejection. Maybe these incidences or those similar have caused us to become bitter in life. As a result it is hard for us to move forward in any area of or lives because we haven't exercised forgiveness.
Forgiveness opens up our hearts to receive truth in love. We may not get the answers we want about past hurts, disappointments, or even failed attempts, but we will gain freedom to move ahead. By holding onto the past we think we're somehow getting some form of revenge and we feel justified, when in reality we only hurt ourselves even further.
Colossians 3:12-14 puts it like this, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." That's right we must forgive as God has forgiven us and not only that but we must put on love which puts everything into perspective. Love cancels out bitterness which ultimately frees us to live the life God called us to live. We won't have to be chained to the past and we'll be able to receive and hear the truth of His word.
Today let us forgive God, let us forgive others, and more importantly let us forgive ourselves so that bitterness won't have a hold on us anymore!
Perhaps we may find ourselves in situations where we are still dwelling on past hurts, broken promises, unrealized dreams, and overall rejection. Maybe these incidences or those similar have caused us to become bitter in life. As a result it is hard for us to move forward in any area of or lives because we haven't exercised forgiveness.
Forgiveness opens up our hearts to receive truth in love. We may not get the answers we want about past hurts, disappointments, or even failed attempts, but we will gain freedom to move ahead. By holding onto the past we think we're somehow getting some form of revenge and we feel justified, when in reality we only hurt ourselves even further.
Colossians 3:12-14 puts it like this, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." That's right we must forgive as God has forgiven us and not only that but we must put on love which puts everything into perspective. Love cancels out bitterness which ultimately frees us to live the life God called us to live. We won't have to be chained to the past and we'll be able to receive and hear the truth of His word.
Today let us forgive God, let us forgive others, and more importantly let us forgive ourselves so that bitterness won't have a hold on us anymore!
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