Please forgive how this
post looks. Satan hates
this message and I just
found that the text was
running off of the page,
so that has been fixed.
I wrote this post about
I wrote this post about
ten years ago and I keep
republishing it because
the message is a good
the message is a good
one for me and for you
to remember.
Forgiveness of others
and of ourselves will
set you free! Hate,
bitterness, and being
unforgiving brings
unforgiving brings
stress to your body.
Stress brings toxins.
Stress brings toxins.
Toxins brings health
problems. Long-term
toxins will shorten your
life! Please keep
reading because this
message is one that I
hope will bring you
some peace in your
life.
heard this, but it makes
sense: "Bitterness is like
a cup of poison that you
drink, but you expect the other person to die."
Maybe that's why God
tells us to forgive our
'enemies' (those who
'enemies' (those who
have hurt us) because
hatred and bitterness
just hurts us.
And I am adding this
just hurts us.
And I am adding this
for myself, too, and
anyone else who needs
to be reminded, that
we all do things that hurt
others. God says that we
were all born sinners.
We need to remember
that when we refuse to
forgive others for what
they have done to us.
they have done to us.
We do not mean to hurt
those we love, but we
still sometimes do, and
that is why we need to
be forgiving because
we are all in the same
boat! We all need
boat! We all need
forgiveness.
Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one
man [Adam] sin
entered into the world,
and death by sin; and
and death by sin; and
so death passed upon
all men, for that all
have sinned:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned,
and come short of the
glory of God;
When Jesus hung on
the cross to die for our
sins, He forgave those
who had severely
beaten him, mocked
him, and nailed him
to that cross!
Luke 23:34(a)
Then said Jesus,
Father, forgive them;
for they know not
what they do.
If Jesus can forgive
those who physically
beat him and then
nailed him to a cross,
nailed him to a cross,
then we (with the
help of his Holy
Spirit) should be
able to forgive those
who have wounded
us. We may not feel
like forgiving them,
but we can ask
Jesus to help us
to forgive them,
even if our emotions
don't agree.
Forgiving them will set
you free from anger,
hatred, bitterness,
hatred, bitterness,
revenge, and the
stress of harboring
all those emotions
and feelings that
are damaging to
our health, physically,
mentally, and
spiritually!
John 8:36 (Jesus:)
If the Son [of God]
therefore shall
make you free,
ye shall be free
indeed.
A long time
ago, for many
years, I carried
bitterness toward
someone who had
betrayed me. It
literally made me
sick. It divided my
mind because in
the back of my
thoughts I was
constantly going
over and over the
things he had done
to hurt me. Then I
did a Bible study
on this blog about
forgiving others,
forgiving others,
and wow! It made
me realize that
God tells us many
times in his Word to
forgive others or else
he won't forgive us!
Yikes! God was
telling me to forgive
this person; and
then I needed to
ask God's
forgiveness for
my sin of
unforgiveness!
Wow! What
freedom there is
in forgiveness!
And God tells us to
And God tells us to
forgive others not just for
the sake of those who
have hurt us, but also
for our own good
because unforgiveness
can cause stress
which will eventually
harm our health;
but it is not just
harmful to our
physical health, but
it harms us in
other ways.
Unforgiveness will
also cause a
break in our
relationship
with God, our
heavenly Father,
because
unforgiveness is
a sin and God
wants us to
repent (turn away
from/stop
committing) our sin.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our
sins [to God in
heaven], he is
faithful and just
to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse
us from all
unrighteousness.
Unforgiveness will
also ruin our Christian
witness to others
as they see us
holding onto
grudges, anger,
resentment, and
bitterness against
someone who
has hurt us.
Also
unforgiveness
does not hurt the
other person.
Unforgiveness
keeps us
connected to
that person,
almost as
if we are
shackled to
them as long as
we keep re-living
over and over
again what they
did to hurt us. We
keep dwelling on
the details; and
that means we are
forever tied to that
person that hurt us.
The only way to be
free of that cycle of
reliving the pain
and hurt is to forgive
that person. Just tell
God you cannot do
it on your own
because you do not
feel like forgiving them.
But if you pray to
God and ask Him daily
(if necessary) to help
you to forgive that
person, He will
help you to do that.
Also Jesus said to
pray for our
enemies, and if
we do that we
cannot be thinking
bad thoughts about
them if we are
praying to God for
them.
Matthew [Jesus:]
Matthew [Jesus:]
5:43 Ye have heard
that it hath been said,
Thou shalt love thy
neighbour, and hate
thine enemy.
5:44 But I say unto
5:44 But I say unto
you, Love your
enemies, bless
them that curse you,
do good to them that
hate you, and pray
for them which
despitefully use you,
and persecute you;
See what Jesus Christ
says about our
unforgiveness...
Matthew
6:14 For if ye forgive
men their trespasses
[sins], your heavenly
Father will also
forgive you:
6:15 But if ye
forgive not
men their
trespasses,
neither will your
Father [in heaven]
forgive your
trespasses.
Want to be
set free from
the burden of
carrying around
those old hurts,
grudges, anger,
and bitterness?
Ask Jesus
Christ to help
you to forgive that
person who has
hurt you; and enjoy
the peace and joy
that He said He
would give to us.
John 14:27 [Jesus said:]
Peace I leave with
you, my peace I
give unto you: not
as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let
not your heart be
troubled, neither
let it be afraid.
I repeat this: You may
have to keep praying
to ask Jesus for help
every day to forgive
this person who
hurt you, but after
praying for
that person
daily (as Jesus
told us to do),
you will
eventually feel
released from the
weight of your
unforgiveness and of
being tied to that
person when you
no longer relive
the things they did
to hurt you.
Forgiveness will give
you joy and
peace. And then
be sure and thank
Jesus Christ for
forgiving you for
your
unforgiveness
and for helping you
to forgive that
person, and for
setting you free!
John 8:36 [Jesus said:]
John 8:36 [Jesus said:]
If the Son [of God,
Jesus Christ]
therefore shall
make you free,
ye shall be free
indeed.
When you let go
of that anger,
bitterness,
resentment, and
painful memories,
you will be amazed
at how good it feels
to get rid of that
burden! I know it
is what gave me
joy and peace.
Look what
Jesus offers
you...his peace.
Trust him. Tell him all
your troubles, and
he will give you
His peace. God
(Jesus Christ) has
Big Shoulders to
cry on. He cares
about you and
wants you to dump
all your cares onto
him.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your
care upon him;
for he careth
for you.
Philippians
4:6 Be careful for
nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and
supplication [earnest
prayer request] with
thanksgiving let your
requests be made
requests be made
known unto God.
4:7 And the peace
4:7 And the peace
of God, which
passeth all
understanding,
shall keep your
hearts and minds
through Christ
Jesus.
John 14:27 [Jesus:]
Peace I leave with
you, my peace I
give unto you: not
as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart
be troubled, neither
let it be afraid.
John 16:33 [Jesus:]
These things I have
spoken unto you,
that in me ye might
have peace. In the
world ye shall have
tribulation: but be
of good cheer;
I have overcome
the world.
And remember,
heaven is Our
Real Home; and
when we get Home
God will wipe
away all our tears!
Revelation 21:4
And God shall wipe
away all tears from
their eyes; and
there shall be no
more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there
neither shall there
be any more pain:
for the former things
are passed away.