Monday, 03 December 2012
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Why Should I Forgive Others?
Have you ever gotten into a situation where a group of people or an individual misuses your charity or abuses your trust with hurtful acts of the physical and mental type? If you were to ask anyone this question I am pretty sure they would have a list of injustice and hurt caused by another. This can cause one to hold grudges and to develop hate for another. Sometimes the sound of someone’s name is enough to send one into a hateful rage or cause a frown.But with that kind of attitude, what does one gain? Do they advance in some hidden wisdom by thinking that some day they may have some type of revenge? Will plotting and acting out vengeful scenarios in their mind lighten the load of life? It's understandable that some people may justify fighting fire with fire, but where does it get you?
The more one dwells on hate and other negative feelings, the more they start to live their life by that doctrine. Hateful and criticizing thoughts will be the first to enter your mind in many situations. Sure, you may know love, you may believe in God and Jesus you may even do many works of selfless charity. But what good is that when you refuse to forgive another who has wronged or hurt you?
I think we are all sinners in God's eyes, but yet if you seek forgiveness from God and Jesus it will most likely be granted to you. Now if God and Jesus have the willpower to forgive your sins, don’t you think you should honor and thank God and Jesus by forgiving those who have hurt or wronged you? Jesus says this:"For if you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you your offenses. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offenses." --Matthew 6:14-15
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught how to properly abide by some of the commandments and He gave some great advice on many everyday day occurrences that people face in life. Jesus concluded the Sermon with these words:
"Everyone therefore who hears these my words and acts upon them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house on rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it was founded on rock.And everyone who hears these my words and does not act upon them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house on sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and was utterly ruined." -- Matthew 7:24-27By not forgiving you are holding yourself back from experiencing the full feeling of love. Love is meant to purge all negativity, but if you're clinging on to the negativity, how will you be purged fully? I don’t think there is a middle ground when it comes to choosing light or darkness. To be enveloped in light and love you need to release all the darkness in your life, and forgiveness is one of the most important acts to surrender to.
People's pride and ego get in the way of forgiving -- hence the reason you must surrender yourself to the flow of forgiveness. By doing so, you are lightening the burdens of your life by using love and forgiveness to deal with the evil that crosses your path. And by doing so, you will not add to your burdens; instead you will be free of false goals that take away your happiness. Happiness and love will be abundant in your life if you allow it to be, and forgiveness is the first step.
Just look at Jesus and how He lived his life by acts of love and forgiveness. You can do that too. The Pharisees probably annoyed Jesus, but he didn’t turn to hate or revenge in response to their questions. Jesus forgave and loved. What an awesome power it is to forgive and love, free for anyone to tap into. Why not make it a habit?
Some people may ask in their life, is there a God? There is a God who loves you and He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die and be resurrected from the dead on the third day for the world's sins. Cling to Jesus Christ for your hope of salvation.
Why should we forgive others? What hold you back from forgiving others? When have you forgiven someone, and how did it change the way you viewed that person?
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- From: farlow
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Comments (5)
forgive others their wrongs to allow you, yourself, forgiveness for yours
Yes, just as Jesus said in Luke 17:3 - "Take heed to yourselves: "IF" thy brother trespass against thee, "REBUKE HIM"; and "IF HE REPENT", forgive him.
Jesus also speaks to this when you first go to the person that sinned against you and if they don't repent, then take 2 witnesses, and if they still don't repent, then tell it to the church, and if they still don't repent, Jesus said to then let them be as a heathen to you.
We need to always be willing to forgive. The exception to what was said above is if someone doesn't realize they have sinned against you. Then you should forgive them even without them repenting.
I think it's probably healthier for your own mental health to not hold a grudge and to forgive-but just because you forgive someone doesn't mean to go be a dummy and forget that this person or people did something to hurt you, or wronged you. Don't hold a grudge in your heart, but also don't forget and be cautious and don't keep helping someone who keeps doing wrong by you. The best advice I've ever had is to not go to bed with any hate or anger in your heart, and don't let people go to bed with those same feelings towards you.
Why should we forgive others?
Christ forgives us first, and this dear God who became a man and died in order that we might be forgiven taught, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). If we are to live this out, truly, with the gratitude Jesus deserves, then we must find it within ourselves--seeking His grace and help all the while--to forgive others. It may at times seem entirely impossible, but remember that we "...have the strength for everything through Him who empowers [us]." (Phil. 4:13)
Here is a powerful testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9WEXW_Uxlg
I had this blog open on my laptop for two days. I finally read it today.
THANKS! Very true. & It definitely calmed me down a bit and helped me remember why to forgive -- along with a friend.To answer your questions --These past few months have been a complete roller coaster for me! I won't get into detail, but I can honestly say that forgiving others takes the weight of the world off of your shoulders. Maybe not INSTANTLY, but you definitely feel at peace a lot quicker than you would if you held a grudge and just continue to seek revenge. At one point I was constantly praying and asking God to remove the hate in my heart... After a few days, it was gone and I felt a million times better.& Exactly like you said, PRIDE is what seems to hold everyone back from a LOT of things. Forgiving, admitting their wrongs, etc.
Forgiving someone lightens the load on everyone, but I swear you feel best when you're the one who is (truly) forgiving. (: Whether your relationship on the person who wronged you is completely fixed, or just PEACEFULLY ended... It all feels a lot better than having a tit for tat ending.