When You Won't Forgive

One day a visitor leaned on the old fence around a farm while he watched an old farmer plowing with a mule. After a while, the visitor said, "I don’t like to tell you how to run your business, but you could save yourself a lot of work by saying, ’Gee’ and ’Haw’ to that mule instead of just tugging on those lines." The old farmer pulled a big handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face. Then he said, "Reckon you’re right, but this animal kicked me five years ago and I haven’t spoken to him since."

The moral of this story is: A grudge is harder on the one who holds it than on the one it is held against.

Unforgiveness always keeps the one who is nursing a grudge bitter and awake at night.  As Christians, we aren’t exempt from situations that test our ability to forgive.  Christ’s teachings on forgiveness are direct and uncompromising.  We are reminded in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we forgive men when they sin against us, God will forgive us, but if we don’t forgive men, God cannot forgive us.  He reminds Peter in Matthew 18: 21-22 that there is no limit on how many times we are to forgive someone.  The Apostle Paul reminds us on several occasions that we are to forgive as the Lord has forgiven us.

When tempted not to forgive, we need to remind ourselves of the sin debt that God has forgiven in our lives.  When unforgiveness arises we need to confess it to God, pray for those who have persecuted and abused us, continue to forgive every time the situation comes to mind, stay focused on the cross of Christ, and remember what our forgiveness cost God.

Come see us Sunday.  We will talk about that,
Pastor Jeff