Forgiveness is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It costs nothing and is worth millions. It is available to everyone and used by few. If you harness the power of forgiveness, you will be sought after and regarded highly. And not coincidently, you will also be forgiven by others!
Abraham Lincoln
Stephen
Act 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
The Anger~Management Myth – vs. – Anger~Resolution
· Have You been harboring resentment toward anyone?
· Go back to when you were a kid? And review those resentments…
· Who are the people that have imprisoned you through your resentment toward them?
· Now, pray about that for a moment…
· Now tell the LORD that you forgive them…
· Remember that resentment only hurts YOU – FORGIVENESS will LIBERATE your spirit…
· You want a PEACEFUL life – you MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE
Forgive each person “Unconditionally” –
(especially that one that your mind is telling you RIGHT NOW – NOT TO FORGIVE)
1Jn 4:19-21 We love him, because he first loved us. (20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (21) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
A list of questions to ask yourself:
· What one decision would I make if I knew it would not fail?
· What one thing should I eliminate from my life?
· Am I on the path to something absolutely fantastic or something absolutely average?
· Am I running from something?
· How can I use my time better?
· What is my MOST prevailing thought?
· Of the PEOPLE I respect most, what is it about them that earns my respect?
· What would a truly creative person do in my situation?
· What outside influences are causing me to be better… or worse?
· What GIFTS and TALENTS has GOD given to ME?
· What is the one thing I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?
· Who do I need to forgive ?
· From whom do I need to ask forgiveness?
The HEALING FORGIVNESS BRINGS –
Did you know that it was JOSHUA CHAMBERLAIN
that was the one to have the HONOR
of accepting the Confederate ARMY’s surrender?
Joshua Chamberlain and President Lincoln
conspired together so that when
General Robert E. Lee arrived
all of the Union Army would stand and salute –
in a great show of forgiveness and respect –
this was the 1st step towards healing a broken and divided nation…
HAVING A FORGIVING HEART WILL BRING HEALING TO NATIONS and to YOU…
The POISON of UN-FORGIVENESS –
“When faced with the decision to forgive, never make the excuse, ‘But no one knows what that person did to me.’ That may be true.” “but the question is, do you know what that un-forgiveness will do to you?”
John Mason, from his book An Enemy Called Average.
Mat 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Old Indian Proverb…
Chief talking to his grandson about a Fight going on in his heart -
that was like that of a fight between WOLVES inside him ….
One wolf was evil & full of anger… envy – sorrow – regret – greed – arrogance - Self Pity – guilt – resentment – inferiority – lies – false pride – & ego…
and the other was a good wolf – full of forgiveness –
Grandson asks… which one wins… ???
Chief says… “the one I feed.”
Forgiving yourself –
Month after month – year after year…
We have piled on the crushing weight of our disappointments in ourselves…
The things we said we were going to do –
that never got done…
The promises we made and didn’t keep –
Visions of who we feel we should be –
whom we are just not quite measuring up to…
Guilt – so easily turns into resentment
Resentment boils over into anger…
And anger –
in so many ways has a tendency of taking over our lives…
We live with … this … self loathing …
We lash out at others – when it is really us – we are mad at…
We wallow in it… agonize over our miscalculations…
The missed opportunities
They replay and replay in our minds….
Every goal not reached has energized our self – disgust…
Every time we disappoint ourselves –
it reaffirms the WALLS of SELF DOUBT that seem to be overcoming our minds…
Doubt – disdain – disgust have taken up residence in far to many of our minds…
It is HARD TO fight an enemy that lives WITHIN OUR MINDS…
Mat 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
We can’t love our neighbor – because we can’t stand ourselves…
What we have become – or what we HAVEN’T become –
Listen to THIS...
I’m not mad at you…
Your friends ARE NOT MAD at YOU…
Your family and YOUR CHURCH FAMILY…
We are NOT mad at YOU…
And GOD certainly isn’t mad at you…
So do it…
Go ahead… breath it in – breath it out…
FORGIVE YOURSELF…
LET it GO…
Don’t MANAGE your anger…
BANISH IT… chase it out of your heart & mind by embracing the FORGIVING NATURE that you found in JESUS CHRIST…
You don’t have anger …
You have a FORGIVING HEART…
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Life Affirmation #6 - The Traveler’s Gift
A FORGIVING HEART
1John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Because the love of Jesus has brought great growth to my heart, I can and I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.
For too long, every ounce of forgiveness I owned was locked away, hidden from view, waiting for me to bestow its precious presence upon some worthy person.
Alas, I found most people to be singularly unworthy of my valuable forgiveness, and since they never asked for any, I kept it all for myself.
The forgiveness that I had hoarded had sprouted inside my heart like a crippled seed yielding bitter fruit. No more! At this moment, my life has taken on new hope and assurance.
Of all the world’s population, I am one of the few possessors of the secret to dissipating anger and resentment.
I now understand that forgiveness only has value when it is given away.
By the simple act of granting forgiveness, I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing and create in myself a new heart, a new beginning.
I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness.
Many are the times when I have seethed in anger at a word or deed thrown into my life by an unthinking or uncaring person.
Valuable hours have been wasted imagining revenge or confrontation. Now I see the truth revealed about this psychological rock inside my shoe.
The rage I nurture is often one-sided, for my offender seldom gives thought to his offense!
I will now and forevermore silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it.
By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts.
My bitterness is given up. I am contented in my soul and effective again with my fellow man.
I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.
I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.
Knowing that slavery, in any form, is wrong.
I also know that the person who lives a life according to the opinion of others is a slave.
I am not a slave.
God’s Word has been my great counsel. I know the difference between right and wrong.
The Word of God has instilled into me all I need for the best future of my family, and neither misguided opinions nor unjust criticism will alter my course.
Those who are critical of my goals and dreams simply do not understand the higher purpose to which I have been called.
Therefore, their scorn does not affect my attitude or action.
I forgive their lack of vision and forge ahead.
I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity.
I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.
I will forgive myself.
For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself.
Every mistake, every miscalculation, every stumble I made has been replayed over and over in my mind.
Every broken promise, every day wasted, every goal not reached had compounded the disgust I feel for the lack of achievement in my life.
My dismay had developed a paralyzing grip. I realize today that it is impossible
to fight an enemy living in my head.
By forgiving myself, I erase the doubt, fear, and frustration that have kept my past in the present.
From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny.
I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.
Mat 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
(15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Because I know that I cannot obtain forgiveness
if I’m not willing to give forgiveness.
I will forgive EVEN those
who do not ask for forgiveness.
I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.
I will forgive myself.
I will greet this day with a forgiving HEART.