Recently we were riveted to our TVs as we watched the emotional battle for the Supreme Court unfold. We saw sadness as a woman told her painful story. And we saw the anger of a man defending his honor and his reputation. Because of his anger, they said he does not have the right temperament for the highest court in…
In making peace with our past, we need to forgive from our heart everyone who has ever hurt us. We need to forgive our father and mother and all other family or friends for what they did or did not do for us in our life. And we must become aware of our need to forgive our self. We cannot…
To forgive our offenders their debt, usually requires some type of groundwork must take place. Our negative emotions (resentment, anger, revenge) must become available to us. These destructive feelings do us great harm, actually holding us in bondage to the past. Negative emotions will continue to rob us of our God-given creative energy that enables us to live life more…
In the story of Cain and Abel, the Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering of a sacrificial lamb, but he rejected Cain’s offering of fruit from his garden. Why? Because Cain had not followed the Lord’s instruction about how to resolve sin: a blood sacrifice, a sacrificial lamb. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. The Lord said…
We need to understand the pernicious nature of unforgiveness. It is a luxury that you dare not indulge in, because it leads to far greater evils. Here is a brief description of the downward spiral unforgiveness will take you on: 1. Create a record of wrongs Unforgiveness starts with the feeling we’ve been injured, hurt, or wronged by someone or…
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ links forgiving others to answered prayers and well-being. And he warns that if we do not forgive from the heart, we will open ourselves to torturers—the domain of Satan. Recognizing the danger of unforgiveness, we need to consider the relationship of anger, resentment, and bitterness to our very real and practical life problems. Unforgiveness leads…