Who is one person in your life you feel angered towards?
Guys I am going to be completely honest... I have been known for holding grudges and being very angry. I remember sitting in church as anger was compared to a dangerous smooth criminal that captures our hearts and causes us to act out in sin and corrupt certain relationships around us. I was so angry with certain people that I realized it was hurting me more than anyone else. My anger was causing me to feel uncomfortable, upset, and disappointment as I hung around the people who caused me to feel this way. I started to acknowledge that I couldn't enjoy certain adventures, or new experiences because I would be around people that once wronged me or my family causing anger to capture my heart and kept it captive in a dark hole of sin.
Every time I heard certain names, or was reminded of times where the original anger arose, my day immediately was flipped upside down and I couldn't enjoy it. You guys I want you all to know that I have lived this way basically my entire life and it wasn't until about five days ago where I actually decided to do something crazy...
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
What do you want to be known for? In the Bible our hearts are talked about a lot. In Proverbs it states that everything we do, and the way we conduct ourselves are basically influenced by whatever is in our hearts. My anger was causing me to be rude and distant towards people who angered me once by something they did. How is that fair? It isn't at all and it took me years to figure it out!
Jesus died for our sins so that we could have a relationship with God and weren't separated from heaven because of Adam and Eve's original disobedience. We, as sinners, deserve death and hell. God owes me absolutely nothing, and yet he sent a sacrifice for me to live in hopes of one day spending eternity with Him. It got me to thinking... if Jesus could pay the ultimate price for me to live life in forgiveness, then why is it that I don't forgive? God isn't asking me to die for anyone, He just wants me to display love and forgiveness because we are all sinners. I am no better than anyone else. I sin everyday just like the people who angered me do. In complete honestly, I have probably done the same thing that the people who made me mad did. However, the only difference is usually the people I have wronged have forgiven me...
So I did do something crazy. There were certain people that I was angry with for a very long time, and just recently I reached out to them and told them that I have no more ill feelings and I love and pray for them on the daily. Seeking reconciliation might be the most peaceful thing you could do. We probably won't go back to being best of friends but at least I can now live my life in peace and love.
Don't get me wrong, my entire life was full of anger and hatred! This literally happened all within the last week! Being a sinner is so easy but breaking the chains is so hard. We are all sinners and we all mess up. I encourage you to reach out to the person you need to forgive whether it be big or small. Or just pray for them and see God work through your heart and their lives. No longer allow anger to rule your life! Break the norm and allow God to fulfill your life and fill your heart with love!
Dear God,
Thank you so much for all you have done for your children. Thank you for loving us unconditionally and displaying that love to us when you sent your only Son to die for all of our sins. You are a good, good Father and I am so blessed to serve such an amazing Lord. God I pray for our hearts. We are all sinners and fall short of your glory however, you still love us and forgive us on the daily. I pray that we can display a little amount of that mercy to our current enemies. Please help us break the chains and run to you Lord. I love you with all of my heart! It is in Jesus name that I pray.
AMEN!
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