Why Forgive?

Good Morning,

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

I have a question for all of us this morning. Are we carrying around something, some wrong that's been done to us? I'm pretty sure that almost every one of us has that burden. That particular burden leads to the feelings that we read in today's Scripture verses. When we carry that around we have in our lives "bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." That's what wrongs done to someone bring about, in almost every case.

Anger and bitterness and rage and the such that we have from being hurt or wronged in some way really only hurts ourselves. Those ugly feelings that we carry do no good whatever. The cannot be used in any kind of a positive or uplifting way. All they ever do is to cause us further, and even more painful, feelings as time goes on.
Paul tells us in the next verse how to get rid of these feelings, or at least to lessen them to the point that they don't drag us down and keep our minds in places they shouldn't be. Simply put, "Be kind and compassionate...forgiving each other..."

You see, when we truly do forgive a wrong that we've done it not only can give the wrongdoer some peace, by showing compassion and kindness, but it also gives us...the one forgiving...peace in our lives, as well.

So, if we wish to rid our lives of these negative emotions and feelings that cause us so much more hurt (because hurt causes the feelings, and then having the feelings causes more hurt, which causes more of the feelings...you see the point, I'm sure, as it's a never ending cycle) if we wish to get these things out of our lives, then we need to truly forgive the wrong or wrongs that have been done. I would venture to say that most of us...all of us?...have something that needs forgiving in our lives.

One last thing. Forgiveness is MUCH more than simply saying the words. Don't forget that. Real forgiveness doesn't come from the lips, it comes from the heart and soul. That's how God has forgiven us and that's how we need to approach forgiving. Let's not dishonor God, and even ourselves, by simply saying the words, "I forgive you," without truly having the feeling in our hearts. That's the only way it really works. Just as hurt causes ugly emotion and ugly emotion causes hurt, and so on, so also forgiving causes these ugly feelings to diminish and the diminishing feelings allow us to be more forgiving...and it goes on, as well.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David