"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me."
~Matthew 25:40~
Bitterness!! We have the choice to forgive or become bitter!! Bitterness lurks at our door waiting to devour us in its clutches and cripple our mental, emotional, and physical health for the rest of our lives. Bitterness doesn't have to grasp its evil claws onto us, we can choose to live at peace with ourselves and others. Even if they never forgive us, we can forgive them.
Something that we sometimes don't realize is that the way we treat those around us, even those we love, is a direct gauge of our relationship with God.
"Consequently, to be at odds with a fellow Christian spells double trouble: not only are we at odds with our brother, but we are also at odds with Jesus in him!" (Forgiveness: How to Get Along With Everybody All the Time! By Harold Vaughan)
It is important to teach our children to forgive each other but it is far more important to keep short records ourselves, as an example for our children. More is taught than caught and our children learn best when we are not keeping them captive to a boring lesson when they can learn from the action of their parents. Ugh!!
When I have been offended, I have found it important to forgive that person. I haven't always found this to be easy. There have been times that it takes me hours to work through the situation and I have been known to stay up late, reading the bible and praying through until I work it out with the Lord.
When a person will not forgive you, or they have done wrong to you, it is still very important for you to forgive them whether or not they grant you forgiveness. If you don't, you will end up the worse-for-the-wear although you were not the one who gave the offense.
When a person will not forgive you, or they have done wrong to you, it is still very important for you to forgive them whether or not they grant you forgiveness. If you don't, you will end up the worse-for-the-wear although you were not the one who gave the offense.
Nursing homes are full of bitter old men and women. One day, when I am old, I want to be a blessing not lashing out in bitterness that has accumulated over the years.
How about you?? What do you do to make sure you don't become bitter??
How about you?? What do you do to make sure you don't become bitter??
~Judith~
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