In the early fall, I am obsessive about leaves on my yard. I am meticulous in removing every single leaf! I fight a constant battle to keep leaves off my yard, which has been newly aerated and overseeded. The tender new grass plants are particularly vulnerable to harm when leaves remain on them. Leaves block the sunlight and do not allow the plants to use it to convert chlorophyll to energy for growth. Grass that is covered eventually will wither and become unhealthy.
Similarly, as unforgiveness covers our hearts, if left to fester for too long, smothers the life of Christ in us. It has the possibility of doing irreparable harm to any possible reconciliation with that person, Also, it makes us virtual prisoners of that person, whether he knows it or not , whether he cares or not! Scripturally, it can also have terrible consequences for you and me:
Matthew 6:12 (NIV)
12. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:14,15 (NIV)
14. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Mark 11:25 (NIV)
25. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Luke 6:37 (NIV)
37. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Note here the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant:
Matthew 18:21-35 NIV)
21. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22. Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23. "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
(NIV)
These verses are a stern warning about the consequences of not forgiving others. Are there leaves of unforgiveness in your yard? Don’t let them sit there and fester and consequently destroy both you and the relationship.. Only the Sonlight of forgiveness can revive this unhealthy state and restore us to healthy growth in our Christian life. Please, I beg you, if there is anything to forgive between you and another person forgive them and you too will be forgiven. Repeatedly, we are commanded to forgive others. When we think how much God has already forgiven us, how can we not forgive others?
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