Seeds of Unforgiveness
Today, I would like to talk about the seeds of Unforgiveness.
If we sow seeds of unforgiveness, water those seeds and let the light shine down and allow for the seeds to take root, sprout and grow, what will come up?
Resentment? Bitterness?
Why is unforgiveness so dangerous?
It can fill us with bitterness. It can separate us from others as we try to protect ourselves from being hurt and from the pain. It’s sinful (Mark 11:25) and unforgiveness is contrary to the Word of God. It makes us focus on what bothers us rather than focusing on God and His love.
There are scriptures that tell us that we will be forgiven as we forgive others. Jesus taught about forgiveness. In Matthew 6:14, it says “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others of their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” and Luke 6:37 says “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
What Jesus is getting at in these teachings is that the way we treat others demonstrates our understanding of God's grace. Our understanding and comprehension of God’s grace, that undeserved gift, encourages us to offer grace and forgiveness to others.
God's forgiveness of our sins depends entirely on Jesus' redeeming work on the cross. If our Amazing, Almighty God forgave us of a debt we can’t pay back, how can we withhold forgiveness from others? If we have an unforgiving heart, we may not fully understand God’s grace in our own lives.
Unforgiveness truly harms our own hearts. Unforgiveness tends to hurt the one withholding forgiveness more than the one in need of forgiveness.Man, forgiveness is hard work. And it's not to say that what people do to us doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t mean we go back to automatically trusting them.
Relationships can be damaged from past hurt. So when we forgive we are showing willingness to restore what has been broken. Really, it's showing the grace of God.
Forgiveness is a posture of grace that comes from the heart.
My favorite scene in the 2015 version of Cinderella is when she has been rescued by the prince and is walking out of her house. Just minutes ago she was locked in her room by her stepmother so that the prince wouldn’t find her. She pauses on her way out, looks straight at her stepmother coming down the stairs and says “I forgive you.” Those are impressive last words. It truly frees Cinderella from future pain, bitterness and resentment. The stepmother is floored.
Let me challenge you with this.
Why is forgiveness so helpful?
It can help us focus on love and grace, God is a God of Love. Forgiveness can heal and connect us to those we love and care about. Forgiveness aligns with the Word of God.
Who might you need to forgive today? What will that do for you? What will that do for that relationship?
by: Cady Ruth Sentell, Children’s Minister