This is a very touchy subject for me, but I feel that it is one that needs to be talked about.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been going through some events that have definently tested my faith and my ability to forgive. I think as humans it one of the hardest things we must go through.
It is something I have had to learn because there have been so many people that have come through my life whom I could never see myself forgiving, but I know the more I let it build up inside the worse off I will be.
It has taken a long time to come to this conclusion, but I must say that it has been worth it.
All week I have been praying that God would forgive me for not forgiving them and in turn forgive them for what they did to me.
It has helped me a lot because everytime I think about not forgiving someone I think about how God forgives us everyday and how we have the opportunity to do the same.
This is just a little reminder to forgive those who have hurt you and pray for them too.

Love,
Rachel

------------------

WELL IT SEEMS THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING WEEK FOR YOU! DONT GET DISCOURAGED THROUGH ONE OF THE BIGGEST TEST OF LIFE!!! YES, THIS IS VERY HARD TO OVER COME BUT THE WORD OF GOD STATES THAT GREATER IS HE THATS IN ME THAN HE THATS IN THE WORLD!! AND WITH THAT IN MIND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SURELY OVER COME. BECAUSE HIS WORD SAYS YOU CAN!! WITHIN THIS LAST MONTH I WAS BLAMED FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT DO OR EVEN WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED DOING. FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS I HAD TO DEAL WITH WHAT TO DO WITH THIS SITUATION. BUT JUST DAYS AFTER GOD HAD JUSTIFIED THE TRIAL I WAS IN I HEARD SOMETHING ON THE RADIO THAT STATES SAY YOUR PEACE AND LET GOD DO THE REST. SO AFTER THAT HAD HAPPEN I HAD THE CHOICE TO FORGIVE OR TO HANG ON TO THE ISSUE. AND BELIEVE ME THIS WAS VERY BIG!!!! BUT I STOOD ON THE WORD OF GOD AND FORGAVE THE PEOPLE AND MOVED ON WITH MY LIFE!!! SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO LET THINGS GO AND LET GOD DO HIS JOB AND THEN YOU WALK IN THE JOB HE HAS GIVEN YOU TO DO! IF YOU HOLD THINGS THEN YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO WALK IN THE PRESENCE OF HIM FULLY BECAUSE OF THE UNFORGIVENESS THAT YOU STAND IN!!!! RACHEL, GOD HAS GIVEN US SO MUCH TO DO AND WE CAN NOT HARBER ON YESTERDAY!! BECAUSE WE ALL STILL LIVE IN THE WORLD AND SURELY ANOTHER PERSON WILL COME TOMORROW THAT WILL HURT YOU AND MAYBE EVEN GREATER THAN THE LAST. WHAT WILL YOU DO THEN ? BEFORE LONG YOU HAVE NO ROOM IN YOUR HEART FOR LOVE FROM GOD OR ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE YOU HOLD ONTO THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LET GO OF ALONG TIME AGO!!!! NO, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT IS EASY BUT YES I AM SAYING THAT IT IS YOUR CHOICE!! WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THIS TEST "PASS OR FAIL" ITS ALL UP TO YOU!!! AND THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD!!!!

PRAYING YOU THROUGH THIS!! PROMISE!

PURITY

------------------
Love,Joy,Peace,
and Holiness Always

Amen Purity,

Another way I was taught to look at it was to do what the enemy doesn't expect. He expects you to return anger and bitterness as it was unjustily thrown at you. Instead throw love. The enemy doesn't know what to do w/ love and can not use it to cause strife, because it is something of God. Being angry, bitter, quick to judge, having a bad attitude not only inside but outwardly is what the enemy is trained and prepared to fight with. If you do NOT throw a log onto the fire, then the flame will, with time, burn out. So when the enemy starts to get you angry or suggest to be mad at someone, take them out to lunch, buy them a card, call them, purposely go out of your way to tell them you love them etc. Show the enemy that he WILL NOT have control over your heart, feelings, spirit, nor mind!!! With that in mind, I will be praying for you, me, and everyone else out there that get's hit with these things. AMEN!

God's Servant
Sister in Christ (-;

------------------

I understand what your feeling Rachel. There is a person ( who is now out of my life) that I am still very angry and bitter at. i honestly can't forgive him right now because of those emotions. I know that I will eventually forgive him for what he did. I also know that you have to be able to forgive others before you can forgive yourself and before God can, but I feel like God has forgiven me and I've forgiven myself. I see why this person hurt me but it doesn't excuse him. I eventually hope to overcome these feelings and go on with my life.

Amber

------------------
crazy white girl

Just figured I'd throw in some scriptures on the topic.
Mathew 18: 22-35
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Matt 6:12;14-15
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Fathr will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men thier trespases, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Several times throughout the Bible we are told to forgive other as Christ forgave us.

How do we do that? Well, let's take a look at how He forgave us:

"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8

Since we recieve forgiveness of sins through the Blood that Jesus shed for us when He died, then that means that He forgave us in advance. BEFORE WE EVEN ASKED.

Many times we wait until someone tells us that they are sorry and asks for our forgiveness before we truely forgive them. But according to the Bible, if we really have love in our hearts, we will forgive them while they are still in the wrong. Our forgiveness should be extended to them and waiting for them to recieve whenever they are ready, just as the forgiveness of God is extended toward us.

I just recently went through an ordeal where I had much unforgiveness in me. Only I didn't know it! I honestly thought I had forgiven my mother. I said the words...I forgive her blahblahblah...but I really didn't have it in my heart. Instead of letting the resentments go, all I had done was burried them deeper! And when I realized what was going on (someone pointed it out to me...my friend, Bill, actually) I had to search myself and see that what he was telling me was true. Just the words "I forgive" do not mean anything if your attitude toward the person doesn't change. Just like "I am saved" doesn't mean anything unless my heart has changed followed by a lifestyle change...and so on. Even though I had said that I had forgiven her, I still had a bad attitude toward her, and as a result, we still fought just as much as we had before I "forgave her". But once I really forgave her and realized that despite the mistakes she may have made, she still is responsible for having brought me up in a Christian home among other things, our relationship is much better. It will show when you have truely forgiven a person by the way that person treats YOU believe it or not.

The other day I talked to a guy named Warren from Africa who was having problems forgiving his dad. He said that the problems that he was having in his relationships today were a result of the fact that his father abandoned him. I told him that just as he attributed his problems and faults to the fact that his father hurt him, his father probably attributes his faults to the fact that someone hurt him and it goes back. It is a vicious cycle that can only be broken by forgiveness. If I continue to justify my wrongdoings by the fact that wrong was done to me, the people that I am hurting can later attribute their problems to the fact that I hurt them...do you see how it can go on???
It has to start when I take responsibility for my actions and forgive the people that wronged me and then ask for forgiveness for the wrongs that I have done...
He won't fix it if we don't admit that it is broken! And if we continue to blame others for our actions, then we are not admitting that we have a problem...

Make sense?

Wow!!
That was incredible. Thanks a lot. It makes perfect sense. I really appreciate that. Keep me in your prayers. I will do the same. Love ya lots.

Rachel

------------------

You are in my prayers Lil' Miss Oregonian!

We miss ya over here in Beaumont Texas...are you gonna drive that fancy shmancy car down here for a visit any time soon?
(if you do, ya better check your trunk before you head back cause Laura will prolly try to smuggle herself back with ya!)

Here's another scripture to keep in mind:

Colossians 3
12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you! That's a pretty hefty command to follow... Jesus forgave us even before we sinned, cuz He knew that as humans, we are gonna do human things - most of which is gonna be stupid.

We are gonna sin, no doubt about it, and some of those sins are gonna make you mad, because they affect you and hurt you. Paul wrote these verses to show us how to forgive, like Jesus did, with love, and compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

------------------
Allen