See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. -- Hebrews 12:15
We’ve all been hurt or mistreated by others. It’s part of life. And the truth is, we can’t change the past. And it does no good to ask “Why?” All we can do is move forward.
Yet one of the things that holds most people from moving on from hurts in life is unforgiveness.
If your heart has been broken, but you want to get on with your life today, you must forgive.
You can never fully realize the grace of God in your own life if you are harboring hate, bitterness, resentment, or pain from your past.
But what if you don’t forgive? Today we’ll look at the consequences of unforgiveness. And tomorrow we’ll see how you can begin the process of forgiveness.
The first consequence of unforgiveness is that it will contaminate your personality with bitterness.
It’s like a weed that grows out of control in your life. When you become bitter, you become negative and critical. Anger and resentfulness can grow unchecked, and before you even realize it, joy and happiness has been choked out of your life.
If left unchecked, unforgiveness will devour your relationships and jeopardize your future.
Bitterness can spread to your marriage and be passed along to your children from generation to generation. Worst of all, unforgiveness can rob you of a growing relationship with God.
YOU CAN NEVER FULLY REALIZE THE GRACE OF GOD IN YOUR OWN LIFE IF YOU ARE HARBORING BITTERNESS FROM YOUR PAST.
6 comments:
Pray that this does not happen to us and that if it has we can overcome it.
cas
CAS, I agree. I'm sure like anything else, bitterness starts with one slight and then grows from there. We need to surround ourselves with people who can identify when we are slipping into the trap of bitterness.
I also pray that this doesn't happen to us. Or if it does start to happen that we have the clarity to realize what's happening and reconcile the unforgiveness.
Here's an interesting thought: what happens if the person does forgive you but you don't forgive yourself. I think you'll end up in the same place. Just a comment.
That's a really good point, Iceman. If we do not forgive ourselves, it probably leads to guilt, depression, and isolation. Not to mention that at the root of it is a Messiah complex - who are we not to forgive ourselves when God, through Christ, already has?
tba
I pray that we will understand the grace of God well enough that we can't help but extend it to others.
Greetings from San Diego.
I was DEEPlY hurt by 3 women who worked together to get me fired. I believe I've forgiven them but the thought of them still disgusts me. I know they have no concept of the evil that they performed, and I feel sorry for them. I pray that they would each receive Christ and receive his Grace. Being hurt bad stinks. It's tough to separate the sinner from the sin. But there for the Grace of God go I. Sometimes, it's like I have to forgive them daily.
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