Click The Cross To Return To Love Notes From HeavenClick The Cross To Return To Love Notes From Heaven
Forgiveness is good for the soul
....As we forgive our debtors To truly be happy one has to be forgiving. To have inner peace we have to do exactly the opposite of what our flesh wants us to do.If we are holding a grudge against someone then that eats away at us and we can have no rest from it. Things like this can weary one's soul. When someone does something mean to us, the flesh automatically wants to react, lash back or get even but as a Christian we have to surpress these urges and remember to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us and not as they have done. We all fail God, we sin but he always forgives us. As Christians we must follow Christ's example. In what has become known as the Lord's prayer Jesus left us an example. He left us the example not only for us to ask forgiveness of our sins but to ask that we can also be able to forgive those who trespass against us. This is very important you see, Jesus knew our human nature .He knew that our flesh would tend to get in our way that is why it is important to pray this way. Sometimes when someone does us wrong it is very hard to overcome but when we pray "God help us to forgive this person and help this person" then he steps in, helping us to do what we cannot do alone. I would like to share with you these scriptures today. They have been a help and guide to me in times when others have done something to hurt me. Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil.Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:for it is written,Vengeance is mine;I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. There are many things that can hurt us. Someone who just don't like us and does something cruel or mean tends to make us angry at first and since we want everyone to like us it hurts our pride and our feelings. First as a Christian we must stop and realize that perhaps this person is so mean or unhappy because of the environment that they have always been surrounded by. Perhaps they have never had anyone to treat them friendly and perhaps they have no one who has ever offered a prayer for them. That's when you realize as a Christian there is no room for hostility or vengeance but to pray for that person. You may be the only person who ever has or ever will. What about when someone of faith or a dear friend family member or loved one causes us hurt? To me this is harder to overcome than if it were done by someone outside of that close inner circle that we all tend to have. This hits close to home and this time it doesn't just offend us but it can break our heart. It can wound our spirit. The devil loves to see us in this condition because when we are distracted by our sorrows then we cannot have our mind fully on the work God may have for us to be doing. These hurts and heartaches can become a stumbling block and have caused many Christians to lay down their cross or get into a condition they find they cannot work. These things will come to all of us. They have come to me.They have come to you and they will come again in some way and from some source so I felt it needful to send these scriptures to you today. These hurts, these evils can overcome us if we allow them to. However, we do not have to allow them to. We need God's help though. These are dark valleys. Valleys of tears but remember... Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good. When we find it so hard to forgive that is when it is most needful for us to. If we continue to carry the burden and the hurt around with us then we have our hands full and our hearts full don't we? Where is any room left for a burden for that lost person? Where is the strength you will need to get through? These loads will cumber us down Christian friend. Don't let that happen. These things can be overcome with prayer and by following the example of our Lord. He was longsuffering and patient with us and no matter how we fail him he always forgives and if we want him to continue to forgive us we must forgive others. We must remember that Jesus always loved. Even on the cross he loved, he prayed for forgiveness even to those who had hung him there. That prayer included us because we were the reason he had to come and suffer. We had our part in his sufferings. He took our place and died for us.No man was able to do this. No one else would have been willing to suffer what he did for the human race that had continuously failed and sinned. So friend we must remember that he left us this commandment that we were to love one another as he loved us.That love included forgiveness even when his heart was broken. There is nothing you will face that he hasn't already suffered. He understands. You can give these burdens to him and he will help you through them. Sometimes we may wonder, why do these things come? Well, if we overcome them then this increases our strength.It builds endurance. The bible tells us in all things to give thanks , that includes trials and hard times. Once we find the strength to overcome then we can help point others to the source where we found it and that is through God and his words. This scripture has been a help to me, it came to me at a time I desperately needed it to. Now I am thankful that I can pass it along to you and when these hurts come, I hope it too will help you clear the stumbling block that Satan wanted it to be for you. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good May God bless you is our prayer!
-Karen