The Inability To Forgive
.
Rev. David L Whittaker, Washington
The subject of
forgiveness has become a very sensitive subject both in and out of the church, and
I am sad that forgiveness has gotten so deep rooted in the church.
Folks, it is time to
put un-forgiveness on the altar and leave it there. You may say, "But you don't realize what
has been done to me", and that is true, but God does, and He has been,
down through the ages, a perfect example of forgiveness.
Every time I hear
someone say, "I'll never forgive the perpetrator of the offence, I feel
sick inside, because according to the word, I understand that if I can't, or
will not forgive, I can't expect to be
forgiven, and if I carry that to my grave, WOE be unto me.
The energy I spend in
un-forgiveness, is energy lost to productive living, and church, we cannot
afford not to be productive, for the ability to be productive in soul winning,
in our faith walk, etc. is what the church is all about. Jesus said, in the case of the woman about to
be stoned, "He who is without sin, (Who has never sinned) let him cast the
first stone." To me, if I can't or
won't forgive, I am casting stones, and I have to answer for everyone who stays
out of Heaven and God's grace because of my refusal to be obedient to the will
of my Heavenly Father. The part of my heart that is reserved for
un-forgiveness, becomes territory that is off limits to God.
One of the things
that makes forgiving so difficult, is, that we are prone to continually talk
about the offence and the one who did us wrong, and when we talk about it, we
are reminding ourselves of how bad we were treated, and we get more angry. Folks, if you have forgiven someone for
something, don't talk about it. It is
over and done with, unless you have reserved a spot in your heart that you feel
obligated to harbor things. If you harbor an offence, you have not really forgiven.
Forgiveness is obedience. Attributing value to a soul is required if I
am to become willing to forgive.
Willingness to forgive, will free me to love
and to minister to those around me.
Church, we MUST NOT harbor anything in our hearts
that will destroy someone, and keep us out of the will of the Father.
God Bless you. I love you.
Pastor Dave
