What Are You Holding On To?
Ephesians 4:32
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Mark 11:25
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Are you holding on to an offense from years past? Maybe it was an unkind word that was spoken, or a promise that was broken, or the offense could have been something that was even more serious.
If you have revisited this offense over and over in your mind, you have probably not forgiven the offender. Maybe it’s time to forgive so that the person who offended you no longer takes up real estate in your mind. By forgiving the offender you will set your own self free.
Even if you feel like you are ok, ask yourself, am I holding on to something from my past that is affecting my ability to move forward? You see unforgiveness is about living in the past, and when you see people struggling to move forward, many times they are living in unforgiveness.
Sometimes we just need to let things go and when we do, they let us go as well. Until we come to that place mentally, we are held captive by our past hurts.
God commands us in Mark 11: 25-26 that if we have anything against anyone, when we stand to pray, forgive them. I realize that this is a lot easier said than done, and that could be for a couple of reasons. It could have to do with the magnitude of the offense, or because of the relationship of the offender to you.
The important thing to remember in all of this is, how God forgives us is contingent on how we forgive others. I don’t know about you, but I personally want to be forgiven for my transgressions, so my plan is to forgive even when it still hurts and even when it doesn’t make sense to do so. I will allow God to fight my battles.
As Christians we have to be willing to extend grace and forgiveness to others, just as Christ has done for each of us. Let’s represent Christ well by doing what He has commanded us to do. Let’s forgive those who have wronged us.
Tips On How To Forgive And Release What You Are Holding On To:
1.Pray, and ask God for the strength to do the right thing.
2. If it is possible and if it is safe, arrange a meeting with your offender and share your honest feelings.
3. Pray for the person that offended you.
4. Journal, get your feelings out of you and on paper.
5. Depending on the depth of the offense you may want to get counseling. I strongly suggest that you seek Christian counseling.
Tips On What Not To Do If You Have Been Offended
1. Don’t talk ugly about the person who offended you to other people.
2. Don’t stop praying for the person until this situation is resolved.
3. Don’t live in shame.
4. Don’t blame yourself for what someone else did.
5. Don’t stop living your life.
6. Don’t let it rob you of your joy.
7. Don’t put others in the same category as the person that offended you, it will cause you to have trust issues.
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
