Unforgiveness vs Forgiveness
In our Christian lives, there is a weakness that the devil uses to fight and defeat us. This is the area of unforgiveness. The devil knows that our hearts have been hurt in one way or another and as a result our hearts are bleeding. The enemy uses the spirit of unforgiveness against us. He would make someone to hurt you to a point that you confess that you will not forgive them because they have hurt you. Unforgiveness is the most powerful weapon used by the devil to destroy us.
Its not easy to forgive someone who has hurt you, Christian or not Christian. When you see that person, you remember the pain and you feed the spirit of unforgiveness. When you don’t see that person its better because the pain subsides. Forgiveness and unforgiveness are the two extreme factors which are effective in the hands of the enemy.
When you forgive, you take away the power of the devil, and he cannot destroy you. As Christians, the bible instructs us to have the spirit of forgiveness in us. We must be able to bear with one another and forgive and love one another. We should get rid of unforgiveness that we are harbouring in our hearts.
In Matthew 18:21 & 22, the Bible tells us, “Peter came up to the Lord and asked, “How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough? ” Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! This Scripture teaches us to continuously forgive those who wrong us.
Jesus is telling Peter here that he needs to forgive those who have wronged him more times than they have actually wronged him. To us this seems to be impossible, but with God it is possible. Jesus was saying this because He knows that as humans we are not able to completely and fully forgive. We can say that we forgive a person but soon after that we start thinking about that person and how much they have hurt us. That is why Jesus says, forgive the other person many times more than he or she has hurt you.
When someone has hurt you, you need to forgive that person. However if the person is continuously hurting you, you need to stay away from that person. Because if you continue being close to that person, you will continue to have unforgiveness in your heart. Many Christians are living with anger today because they think that forgiving a person is staying with that person even though they hurt you. Their anger is also affecting their prayers. The way they conduct their prayers change because of the anger they have in their hearts.
As human beings, we are not perfect, although we are striving for perfection. It is difficult to forgive those who have hurt us. But it is important for us to forgive those who have wronged us, and after forgiving them person we should keep no records. We should not count how many times the person has hurt us.
Forgive the person who has hurt you, and move on. After forgiving the person, do not go back to that person. To forgive the person does not mean you have to hook up with the person you have forgiven and begin to socially interact with him or her. It is like the person who always misbehave when he has consumed alcoholic beverages. When the person is not drunk, they don’t misbehave. The solution for this person’s misbehaviour is not to drink anymore. When he or she is not drinking there is no chance that he or she will misbehave. It is the same with forgiveness. After forgiving the person who has constantly hurt you, you need to limit your interaction with the person.
Most of us want God to forgive us but we do not want to forgive others. That is why we are always living under bondage. Jesus says in Matthew 6: 14 “If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in Heaven will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” .
Jesus is teaching his disciples that forgiveness is the most important thing in the Kingdom of God. We need to forgive those who have sinned against us just like God has forgiven us and has cleansed us from all our trespasses. Yes it is given that in our daily lives we will encounter people who will wrong us and we would also wring others. But you need to forgive those who trespass against us.
People of God you need forgiveness in your lives. You cannot live in unforgiveness and receive from God. Your unforgiveness can block your blessings from God. Some of you can receive your blessings from God just by releasing the feeling of hatred, anger, resentment and unforgiveness towards those who have wronged you. Your life can change dramatically just by releasing the feeling of anger and unforgiveness against someone.
Some people have left their employment because of unforgiveness and anger. Some have left their marriages and their families. I am calling unto you to ask God to set you free from unforgiveness. I am talking to you today as a Prophet of God, and I want to tell you that I also went through the same route of unforgiveness in my life.
I have learnt how unforgiveness can cause life to be stagnant. I used to experience anger towards my father, but with the help of God I have managed to conquer that anger. Today I can tell you that I and my father are the best of friends. We love one another and we are able to exchange anything. It is through God that I was able to conquer that anger. It was not my own efforts, but it was through God Almighty. I am a living testimony of forgiveness, and I if there some of you who are struggling with unforgiveness, I am praying to God to release you.
Let your past bitternerness stay in the past. Do not try to live your current life in the past. Let go of unforgiveness in your hearts. Unforgiveness and anger will attract temptation in your life. Let not these two things cause to fall in the sin of temptation. How do you know if you have not forgiven someone?
When you keeping on repeating the events that led to your offence. If you keep on talking about the events or the person who have hurt you, you must know that you have not forgiven the person. I want to tell you today that if you do not completely forgive others, God would also not forgive you.
If you still harbour feelings of resentment and of unforgiveness towards someone, know that you are even wasting your time by coming to church. In Mark 11:25, the Bible says “Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins” God says that you must forgive. Forgive those who have cursed you, those who have insulted you, and those who have belittled you. It is imperative that before you can even make your prayers, forgive whoever has wronged you.
Listen to what verse 24 says: “Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith” This is such a good and promising statement from God, BUT for you to get anything that you ask for from God – Guess what! (Verse 25…you must forgive what others have done to you…). This is so powerful! If you don’t forgive, God is not able to forgive you.
1Samuel 15:23 says “rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can’t be king” In this verse Prophet Samuel rebuked King Saul who had transgressed the law set by God, and he was still rebellious and not prepared to ask for forgiveness. King Saul became proud and this caused him to lose his kingship. God’s favour departed from him and he was replaced by David. Pride should not be your stumbling block to forgiving someone.
In Genesis 17:18 we read about the conversation between God and Abraham, who asked God, “Why not let Ishmael inherit what you have promised me?” Abraham and Sarah were impatient for God’s promised child, Isaac, and they took matters in their own hands which resulted in them committing sin. Because of anger, Ishmael was conceived and born but this did not end up well. The anger by Sarah caused rejection to Ishmael. Despite Ishmael’s rejection and not being the promised child, he was blessed with many descendants.
Please do not allow your anger to rob you of God’s blessings. You will lose what is supposed to be yours. Get rid of anger, resentment, unforgiveness in your lives. Go and look into your heart and look at how many people you still have not forgiven. I urge you today: Forgive those who have wronged you.
May God bless you as you learn to forgive.