Forgiving Others

Forgiving Others “Make sure that no root of bitterness shoots forth and causes trouble and many become contaminated by it.” Hebrews 12:15 Forgiveness is a choice, but it is not an option if we want to live a happy life. We need to be careful that our bitterness and lack of forgiveness does not contaminate others around us, as they are influenced by the way we handle a bad situation in our lives. Our children can be influenced so easily by the parent’s lack of forgiveness and this can affect our children in a way that will not be pleasing to God. Forgiveness is in many cases a necessary ingredient in letting go of the past, and in so many families it is one of the most difficulties obstacles for people to overcome, but it is necessary to forgive if you are to have a happy and joy filled life that is blessed by God. If we are a Christian many of our friends and neighbors look to us to be an example for them in times of trial and trouble, and our children surely look to see how we are reacting. Our actions during these times can be an influence as to how they may handle a similar situation. If we have bitterness inside it is going to contaminate everything that comes out of us. It will affect our personalities and our attitudes, as well as how we even treat our children and other people. We must strive to be a positive influence to our children and others, as they will watch to see how we react to times of stress in our lives, and will have less respect for us if we react badly during these times. We need to examine our hearts to make sure we haven’t buried anger and unforgiveness on the inside. Matthew 6:15 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” I know it may be hard to forgive someone who has done an injustice to you in the past, however when we don’t forgive, we’re not hurting the other person, and we’re not hurting God. We’re only hurting ourselves. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven November 27