Forgive and Have Peace

The most important thing anyone can learn in life is being good at forgiving others.

When we don't forgive others the bitterness in our hearts turns to depression, because we shut our heart down.  We stop being capable of loving others because we are so bitter at one or a few people and we let that ruin any future relationships we might have.  But that is no way to live.  Let it go.  Whatever happened, let it go. :)But I love how Joyce Meyer says, "Don't let what one person did to you ruin your relationships with everyone in your future."  Amen.  Like my dad sexually abused me as a kid, and for a long time that did make me bitter at all men, but I finally made peace with men in general thanks to lots of counseling and growing closer to God.  Praise God for that. :)

Mark 11:25 says, "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”  If we don't forgive others God won't forgive us.  That is extremely serious.  That's one reason why I don't get why people believe that you can be once saved, always saved.  If you don't forgive others, you are no longer saved. Period. God takes unforgiveness that seriously.

Matthew 18:21-22  Peter came up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven." No matter how much you have forgiven someone, you have to keep on forgiving them.  God commands it.  You are forgiving for both their sake and your own, so that you can have peace. But forgiveness doesn't always mean still being friends with them. Be wise who you choose to be friends with.  Don't open yourself to be abused over and over by someone.  You Can put up boundaries with abusive people.

Colossians 3:13 "Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Meaning have patience with others.  It's easy for people to get up on their high horse and think, "I would never do that." But really? Even if you don't do what they did, you do other bad things.  To not forgive others is the ultimate pride. It's you saying you are better then them.  But if we look closely at all that we ourselves do wrong, we will realize we are no place to withold forgiveness from anyone. Ever. Because none of us are perfect.
Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." I love this verse.  What this means is that you shouldn't have enemies, from your side at least.  Other people might see you as an enemy, but we should not see anyone else as our enemy.  Our only real enemy is Satan and no one else.  Amen.

Psalm 103:10-14 "As far as the east is from the west, so far does God remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." We also should remember that other people are dust, as in we need to not have such high expectations of people.  Unforgiveness happens when we expect someone to do or not do something and they fail our expectations.  But how about you just not have any expectations of others.  People don't have to live or act exactly as you think they should.  Are you God? No. So don't expect to have total control over others and be able to dictate their every action.  People are free to do as they choose.  I think people try to control others with their bitterness and unforgiveness, but that only hurts yourself.  Being bitter toward another isn't going to control them, it's just going to make them not like you. ;)

Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." If you have a heart of stone you will feel hatred toward others a lot more then you should.  Hatred essentially turns your heart to stone.  But if you want to have peace with others, you have to love them and forgive them.
Seek to have a heart of flesh, a tender heart that is quick to forgive others.  If you struggle with forgiving others, look long and hard in the mirror and realize how Much God has forgiven you for.  Swallow a pill of humility and realize you are in no place to judge another or stay bitter at them for anything they did.  Sure they aren't perfect, but neither are you. ;) Stay humble.

May God bless you all!