How many times have you heard someone say, "I'll forgive you this time, but you owe me?" The reason they feel the person owes them is because in reality they haven't forgiven that person. If they would have truly forgiven them, then they would have "canceled the debt" and nothing would have been owed.
Many good Christians are carrying around extra baggage. They are weighed down with inner hurts and resentments and the result is they are being destroyed.
In 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, Paul said that he forgave everything. He then goes on to say that we should not be ignorant of the devil's devices, and one of the devices (or tools) he uses against the church is unforgiveness.
Unforgiveness, if not taken care of, will consume you. Bitterness and revenge creep in easily and then sin is born.
Once a man told me that he was not holding unforgiveness, he was just hurt. Let's get real. We are just calling unforgiveness by a more acceptable word. When someone hurts you and you hold on to that offense, that's unforgiveness and unforgiveness displeases God.
Some people are waiting around for the one who has wronged them to repay them somehow. Again, let's get real here. There's no way that people who have wronged you can ever repay you. You just have to let it go. Forgiveness means to LET IT GO! You just have to decide to cancel that debt. They can't repay you the years of hurt. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. God is the only one who restores, not man. You just need to LET IT GO!
Satan does not want you to forgive anyone for anything. He wants you to hold on to every hurt and pain. He wants you destroyed and he knows that unforgiveness will do it.
Jesus said in Mark 11:24-26, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses, but if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Jesus said that if we don't forgive others, then God will not forgive us. We could elaborate on this, but how much clearer could Jesus be? If we don't forgive, we won't be forgiven.
Once a lady said, "But you don't understand. I can't forgive this person who has hurt me and my family. My hurt was not imagined. He really did hurt me." Well, that's the point. The ones who really do hurt you are the ones who need forgiveness. Jesus died for the guilty, not the righteous. Only the guilty need to be forgiven.
And, let me say this. Sometimes the one in unforgiveness is the only one miserable. All the time you're miserable, the one who hurt you is probably out having a good time. Forgiveness is for you. Forgiveness will set you free. Don't be concerned about the other person. Just let it go. Sometimes your unforgiveness doesn't even affect the other person. That's the way unforgiveness is. The one that is destroyed is the one who won't forgive.
Holding on to unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
You may say, "I already have, but they have done it again. I can't keep forgiving them." Yes, you can. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he was to forgive his brother, Jesus said there is no limit.
Unforgiveness is a device of the devil. Don't let the devil destroy your life. Let it go.
Devotion 0139