After writing for the past hour and a half, I realized I need to break this post up into several different segments. I find it interesting how I start writing on one topic, then God will twist it into a completely different lesson. Be on the look out for more....
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7 NIV).
Is there someone in your life who has wronged or offended you? Maybe it was intentional, or maybe they don't even know they've hurt you. No matter what the circumstance, as believers, we are called to forgive. When we forgive, we seek love, and the Bible says that God is love. If we don't forgive, we are turning in the opposite direction--away from God. Choosing forgiveness doesn't excuse the other person's behavior. It simply releases the debt they owe you so that God can release the debt you owe Him. Forgiveness opens the door so that you can be free! I've heard it said that forgiveness is giving up hope for a better past. Choose today to let go of the past and look towards the future. Seek love by choosing forgiveness. And once you do, as the verse says, don't bring up the issue anymore. Move forward and let God be your vindicator. Remember, He promises to take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it around for your good! Seek love today. Seek forgiveness and choose to step into the abundant future God has in store for you! (By Joel Osteen)
Is there someone in your life who has wronged or offended you? Maybe it was intentional, or maybe they don't even know they've hurt you. No matter what the circumstance, as believers, we are called to forgive. When we forgive, we seek love, and the Bible says that God is love. If we don't forgive, we are turning in the opposite direction--away from God. Choosing forgiveness doesn't excuse the other person's behavior. It simply releases the debt they owe you so that God can release the debt you owe Him. Forgiveness opens the door so that you can be free! I've heard it said that forgiveness is giving up hope for a better past. Choose today to let go of the past and look towards the future. Seek love by choosing forgiveness. And once you do, as the verse says, don't bring up the issue anymore. Move forward and let God be your vindicator. Remember, He promises to take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it around for your good! Seek love today. Seek forgiveness and choose to step into the abundant future God has in store for you! (By Joel Osteen)
2 comments:
Meredith,
Thanks for sharing this. Forgiveness is such a huge factor in our(my)lives as Christians. I hurt when others refuse to forgive me, rather choosing to seek human revenge - and I also shrink back in terror when I see it in myself. How sad that I would have trouble at times with bitterness, when I hate seeing it in others, and when I have been given so much grace by our Father. The cost for my sins is incomprehensible to me, yet I struggle at times to release others from the debt they owe. When I do, it truly does produce freedom.
God's been teaching me a lot about forgiveness lately. It's come up in several different avenues and as much as I don't want to keep writing about it, I feel I have at least two more posts to get it all out. :)
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