It's Time to Forgive (01.23.0

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:36-38 KJV)

Some days it is not easy being a Christian. No matter what you try to do to remain positive and stay away from people and things that tempt and trouble you it does not happen, it is as if they find you. Then all of a sudden that positive outlook turns to anger, hurt, and want. The devil now has us under his control and we begin to criticize others and gossip about them, we lose sight of God and are tempted to make them feel as bad as we are feeling. Sometimes we even resort to doing ungodly things to make our flesh feel better.

However, God is a forgiving God and will always forgive us of all of our sins as long as we are sincere in our asking and work on trying to overcome those continous sins. Trust me, I just had one of those days last Sunday, I was so upset by a comment that someone made to me that I became angry and began taking my anger on those around me. On top of that I got depressed and wanted to fall into temptation, I was even looking for it. However, I went to church and put my focus on God and overcame my emotions.

Jesus has given us some commandments to follow in regards to people who cause strife in our lives. To judge not, meaning not to form an opinion of someone, to condemn not, meaning not to declare someone unchangeable, and to forgive them. Now, I understand that it is truly hard to forgive some people, but unless we make that first move we will never overcome our struggles. Anger, hurt, and bitterness can cause so many things to happen. Immorality, substance abuse, and violence are only a few actions that become habits if we do not forgive those who have hurt us.

We all have faults and those who continue to live in sin are scared and sometimes just plain stubborn, they do not want to give up their wordly lives for fear that they will be alone or lose their popularity. When we are faced with difficult people we are to learn from them and stand firm in our faith in God. Only God can give us the peace of mind we need to overcome all these emotions that cause us to fall into ungodly habits.

Now, I know at times you will see people and think, "Oh, my God!" and wonder why they continue to do what they do. That is different than judging and condemning someone, judging and condemning someone is being hateful toward them and seeing them as less than you. We have no ideal what people are going through or why they behave the way they do, often they are hurting and lost, and are in great need of Jesus. We have been there, maybe not as severe, but we have been judged and condemned when others have seen or heard about something that they made their own conclusion of.

We can not do much about them, but the best thing we can do is pray for them and try to guide them toward God. If they hate you and cause you pain God will take care of you. He will never let anyone that hurt you get away with it. Remebmer, whatever is given by you is received whether it is good or bad. So, those who hurt you will receive the same, you may not see it yourself, but it will happen.

Trust in the Lord, it is time to forgive those who have hurt you, it is time to forgive yourself. Turn your pain into comfort as you release the control of those negative emotions.

God Bless and peace be with you.

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