Let it Go! Pamela Hale
“You have no idea what I have been through!” “They lied about me!” “They are the ones that got mad at me, and I have a right to be hurt!” “Oh, I have forgiven them, but you can bet I wont ever forget!” We could go on and on with examples. Most of us can relate to the ones already given.
I want to encourage you today to first of all, Forgive! Let is go! I am telling you from experience there is NOTHING worth holding on to that will only hinder and hurt you!
Offence is a very dangerous thing. It will harden your heart and cloud your judgement. It will come between you and the Lord. Your relationship with him will suffer! Is it worth that? I can assure you that it is not!!!
As Christians, we are commanded to forgive and if we are holding on to offense and bitterness then we have not truly forgiven. Hebrews 12:15 says, looking diligently LEST any man fail of the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you: and thereby many be defiled. Bitterness will bring us trouble. You might think you have walked trouble free for a long time and you have held onto that offence or unforgiveness. It will catch up to you and it already has. Sin is deceitful! And we are being real here, bitterness, unforgiveness and offense is sin! When we are ensnared, we often don’t even see it because we have made excuses and justified things to the point, we believe them ourselves. Sometimes, we hold on to things in secret. We know what to say among other believers but in our hearts, we are holding on to that thing we just can’t let go of.
If we want to walk in the fullness of the life that Jesus purchased for us, then we have no choice than to let it all go! Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and will all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, on all these hang all the law and the prophets. You can’t walk in a love like that and harbor unforgiveness and bitterness in our heart.
Friends, I am telling you nothing is worth more that protecting our relationship with Jesus. I have lived full of bitterness and unforgiveness and I have lived a life of forgiveness and letting go. Nothing compares to the life and fullness of God that comes from obeying His Word.
As Paul instructed in Hebrews 12:1 “… Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us.” So, lets lay aside offense, bitterness and unforgiveness. The longer we harbor these things, the harder it will be to let them go. They will grow and choke out all the good things God has for us!
We do not have to let that happen! Are you willing to lay it all down and let it go? I sure hope so! I did and it is so worth it!
Matthew 18:25, I Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 5:6, Proverbs 18:19, 1 John 2:8-11
“You have no idea what I have been through!” “They lied about me!” “They are the ones that got mad at me, and I have a right to be hurt!” “Oh, I have forgiven them, but you can bet I wont ever forget!” We could go on and on with examples. Most of us can relate to the ones already given.
I want to encourage you today to first of all, Forgive! Let is go! I am telling you from experience there is NOTHING worth holding on to that will only hinder and hurt you!
Offence is a very dangerous thing. It will harden your heart and cloud your judgement. It will come between you and the Lord. Your relationship with him will suffer! Is it worth that? I can assure you that it is not!!!
As Christians, we are commanded to forgive and if we are holding on to offense and bitterness then we have not truly forgiven. Hebrews 12:15 says, looking diligently LEST any man fail of the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you: and thereby many be defiled. Bitterness will bring us trouble. You might think you have walked trouble free for a long time and you have held onto that offence or unforgiveness. It will catch up to you and it already has. Sin is deceitful! And we are being real here, bitterness, unforgiveness and offense is sin! When we are ensnared, we often don’t even see it because we have made excuses and justified things to the point, we believe them ourselves. Sometimes, we hold on to things in secret. We know what to say among other believers but in our hearts, we are holding on to that thing we just can’t let go of.
If we want to walk in the fullness of the life that Jesus purchased for us, then we have no choice than to let it all go! Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and will all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, on all these hang all the law and the prophets. You can’t walk in a love like that and harbor unforgiveness and bitterness in our heart.
Friends, I am telling you nothing is worth more that protecting our relationship with Jesus. I have lived full of bitterness and unforgiveness and I have lived a life of forgiveness and letting go. Nothing compares to the life and fullness of God that comes from obeying His Word.
As Paul instructed in Hebrews 12:1 “… Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us.” So, lets lay aside offense, bitterness and unforgiveness. The longer we harbor these things, the harder it will be to let them go. They will grow and choke out all the good things God has for us!
We do not have to let that happen! Are you willing to lay it all down and let it go? I sure hope so! I did and it is so worth it!
Matthew 18:25, I Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 5:6, Proverbs 18:19, 1 John 2:8-11