Forgiveness

Ok, so that was the topic of today's service. Pastor Steve sure hit home with this one.
How many of us hold something on someone? Have not forgiven someone for something they have hurt us with? May it be something small, or something big, Jesus says that we have to forgive.
Colossians3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Matthew18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

So, how do we forgive? How do we forgive a father who wasn't there? A friend who has hurt you? A family member who continues to hurt you? How do you return love, when you have been hurt so many times?
Well lets start with this....Hurt People Hurt Others.
What good does it do us to hold things in? To hold in the hurts that people have caused us? Where does it get us? How does it help us?
It doesn't! It leaves us stressed, leaves us still hurt...and where does that get us... Let's see.... Cancer... Ulcers... Headaches... and more other sickness.
So what do we have to do?

We have to forgive! It is the only way to deal with all of these issues. Lets face it, we are just going to have problems if we don't forgive.
We have to look at things from God's prospective. Look at things from God's view. What does he say we need to do... FORGIVE!!!
How do we forgive someone who might have no clue that we have held something against them for so long? We pray about it. I have held something against someone for a very long time. I thought I had forgive them for it, but I have been coming to the realisation that I haven't left all of those issues at the foot of the cross. This is what we are told to do. We need to fix things before we can carry on. We need to forgive those who have hurt us in anyway, so that we ourselves can be forgiven for holding it in.
Forgiveness is the only way to move on, the only way to rebuild and restore that relationship. It only takes one side of the equation to "let go" to start the ball rolling, to start the process of forgiveness.
Forgiveness helps our mind, body, emotions, and soul. We all need to stop, think,and pray about those people in our lives who have hurt us, forgive those who have hurt us, ask for forgiveness for holding this in, pray that we will change, and that those people who have hurt us, pray for those changes that need to happen.
God is the only one who can help us through this. God knows what is best for us. He is the almighty, he is worthy. We know that without forgiveness, we are without.

2 Corinthians 2:9-11 9The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Just a little something that really had me thinking today. Really had my attention, and really had me praying.

Another quick food for thought, read 1 John 3:18. What are your thoughts??