[Faith-talk] FW: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] The benefits of forgiving by Larry Ollison

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Donna" <godsgirl54 at att.net>
To: <URCTCPrayerGroup2 at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] The benefits of forgiving by Larry Ollison
Date: 
Wed, 4 Jan 2012 20:12:32 -0500

 
The Benefits of Forgiving 

by Dr. Larry Ollison


After teaching about forgiveness, I had a man ask this question. He said,
"I understand that as a Christian I am to forgive. I understand that Jesus
commanded us to forgive. But what difference will it make in my daily life?
Who knows or cares if I forgive or not?"

Well, the answer to that is a simple one. God knows if you forgive or not
and God cares. If God didn't care whether or not we forgave, then He would
not have talked so much about it in His Word. God is not a time waster. If
He addressed it in His Word, then it's important to Him. And if it's
important to Him, it better be important to us. 

So let's take just a moment and see why we need to forgive. First of all,
we need to forgive in order to restore our minds. When we dwell on the
hurts and pains of the past, then we will be consumed with self-pity. We
will live so much in yesterday that we will be ineffective today. We need
to keep our minds on the things of God. 

We are told in Philippians 4:8, "Whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is
any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these
things."

Another reason we need to forgive is so our prayers will not be hindered.
Jesus said in Mark 11 that when we stand praying, we must forgive others,
otherwise God will not forgive us. And in 1 Peter 3:7 the Bible says that a
husband that does not treat his wife with honor will have his prayers
hindered. Many men harbor unforgiveness in their hearts toward their wives
for one reason or another. That is not honoring your wife and it will keep
your prayers from being answered.

Another reason to forgive is to be obedient to God. For a Christian, that
should be enough. If the Word of God says to forgive, then we don't need to
try to figure out why. We just need to do it.

Many times we talk about what we need to do but we don't tell how to do
it. So, how do we forgive?

This may sound oversimplified, but it actually is simple. You just decide
to. You have to make a mental decision and do it. Let the offense go. Open
your clinched fist and let it go. You cannot regard how you "feel" as
truth. You must remember that you have decided to forgive and let it go and
not go back on your decision. Your "feelings" will come in line later.

I have counseled people who have said they prayed for years for God to
take away the unforgiveness in their hearts. They blame God because He
hasn't removed it. Well that's wrong teaching. God is not the one holding
on to the unforgiveness. You are.

Jesus didn't tell us to pray to God the Father and He would take away the
unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts. He said that we were to get rid
of it. It's our responsibility. Just let it go!

Forgiveness doesn't mean that you're to get back into a bad relationship.
Forgiveness doesn't mean to continue to let an abusive husband beat you.
But forgiveness means you have to let all the hurts, resentments and
bitterness go. The situation may not change, but you will. You will be free
from the bondage of unforgiveness and when you stand praying, He will hear
your prayers.

Remember this. Satan wants to destroy Christians. He uses unforgiveness.
God, on the other hand, wants us to be set free. He uses forgiveness. The
choice is ours.





This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps
118:24