Five Minute Friday is a special time set aside each week where, as our hostess and inspiration, Lisa-Jo Baker, puts it, "We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt...no extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. Unscripted. Unedited. Real."
Today's prompt is release. So...here...we...
Go!
Release - "allow or enable to escape from confinement; set free; allow (something) to move, act, or flow freely."
Anger.
Bitterness..
Resentment.
The only way to get over it and past it (whatever the 'it' in your life might be) is to choose forgiveness. By choosing to forgive you release yourself and others. But don't wait until you feel like it. Otherwise it will probably never happen.
HOW DO WE FORGIVE?
Forgiveness comes when you choose to obey God and resist the devil when he comes around trying to poison your mind with bitter thoughts. When that happens, purposefully choose to forgive and, in time, God will heal your wounded emotions.
Forgive yourself for past mistakes and mess-ups, and forgive others, too...including your enemies and those who have hurt, misused, and abused you. In doing so, you allow God to release you from a prison built of poison. In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. Romans 12:14 tells us to bless them and not to curse them. By purposing to speak well of them and praying for them you are opening up an arena that God can work in...one in which He can give them revelation that will bring them out of the deception that has blinded them.
In choosing to forgive you, not only do you release yourself, but, if they'll receive it, the one that has hurt you is provided opportunity to be released as well.
Stop!
All My Love,
~Rebecca
"A prison built of poison"...what perfect words to describe our hearts when we refuse to forgive. Thanks for sharing this great post! FMF
ReplyDeletePopping over from Five Minute Friday. Thanks for sharing about the importance of forgiveness!
ReplyDeleteTook me a long time to realize this for a lot of different reasons. When an apology fell on deaf, bitter ears It sent me into a spiral of despair and God had to remind me He had forgiven me, I had to forgive myself and He will deal with the other person.
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