Has anyone ever hurt you so deeply that you felt like you had been stabbed in the heart? Over the course of my lifetime, I have been hurt so mortally that I thought I would never recover. Then, somehow, God restored me back to normal like He always does.
Going through this can be devastating especially if the hurt came someone who you considered a close friend. This hurt literally has crushed you to the point that you start building calluses of the heart.
I want you to know that you are not alone when these circumstances occur. If you are a Follower of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior has already said that because of Him, we will be hated by the world. This very well could be a spiritual attack on you because of your faith in Christ.
Jesus said that if someone strikes you on one cheek, turn the other to them. If someone takes your coat, offer them your shirt. See Luke 6:29.
Jesus said that those who sin against us, we are to forgive them seventy times seven, meaning over and over again. See Matthew 18:21-22. We are to forgive indefinitely.
Yes, hurt feelings can fester and cause you to sin. When Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer, He said the following: “And forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Cf Matthew 6:12.
If you choose not to forgive others of their sins against you, our Heavenly Father will not forgive your own sin of unforgiveness. Cf Matthew 6:15. We are commanded to forgive one another.
Unforgiveness can lead you to have a problem in your walk with God. It will cause a spiritual division that can only be resolved once you repent from this sin and forgive those whom you have conflict with.
If someone has hurt you deeply, you need to share with that person what they did and how it made you feel. Then you should pray for that person and even if they do not ask for your forgiveness, still forgive them. Showing forgiveness is what our Heavenly Father has called us to do.
Forgiveness is not an option, it’s a mandate. Once you learn to forgive those who hurt you so badly over and over again, the calluses that you have built up over the years to protect your heart from heartache will soften. By forgiving others, this is no longer your problem but the problem of the one who continues to assault and be unforgiving. For them, it becomes a spiritual problem and only Christ Jesus can change them and their actions.
For you, forgiving others will set you free! If you forgive others, God will forgive you as well.
Copyright May 14, 2022. Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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