My church recently started a new series called, “Break Out: The Power of Forgiveness.” The message is rather simple and yet it’s one of those messages that we all need to be reminded of on a regular basis…at least I do.
If you’re married or in any sort of committed relationship, anger and forgiveness are a continuous cycle (rinse, cycle, repeat)…but maybe it’s a coworker, a sibling, a parent or a neighbor. Whatever the case, my guess is that we’ve all had angry feelings toward someone recently. With those types of feelings comes a choice:
- Remain angry and allow the anger to spill over into other relationships because you can’t let go of the extra baggage.
- Or, as said in Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Granted, forgiveness isn’t always easy and it’s sometimes easier for us to forgive others than it is ourselves. Ephesians 4:25-27 says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Said another way, go ahead and feel angry. God regularly expressed anger throughout the bible…Jesus also felt anger. But, don’t let that anger control the decisions you make and don’t let it control your actions and behaviors to the point that you regret what you’ve done. Furthermore, don’t carry unresolved anger around with you…doing so will cause you to sin further and it will spill over into other areas of your life. By giving into anger, you essentially give the Devil residence in your life. One small dose of anger causes a lot of very unnecessary drama.
So…deal with it (in a timely manner)…or else…
We might forget what made us angry to begin with. If we forget why we’re angry, we can’t exactly resolve the anger…thus it’ll hang onto us like an ugly mole that should have been removed a long time ago.
Forgiveness is key, but it’s not easy. As it says in Matthew 18:21-22 – “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?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” We ask for forgiveness so that our relationship with God and others can be restored. Rinse, cycle, repeat…7×70 times (click HERE to watch Chris August’s video). Just don’t let the sun go down another day without dealing with it.
So, who or what is under your skin? Are you ready to forgive?
While you’re here, I have two other announcements.
- Krista from Our Beautiful Life is a Christmas Warrior for an orphan in Eastern Europe who just happens to have Down Syndrome…just like her daughter. Instead of having a loving family he is the least likely candidate for adoption and may never receive the care he needs. If you want to read more about his story and how you can contribute this Christmas, click HERE.
- Haylie runs a Christian girl magazine called Lilies Among Thorns. They are currently looking for a few new photographers for the upcoming December issue. If you’re interested, you can email Haylie at liliesamongthorns@ymail.com. You can also check out their website or Facebook page.
