Don't Be Defeated By Unforgiveness

I’m just going to ask you right off the bat. How many of you are carrying a grudge, anger or angst against someone? You may not even realize it. Sometimes incidents occur in our lives that we may brush off at the time, but they linger in the back of our minds and at that moment that we least expect these thoughts come back to us out of what appears to be nowhere and we ask ourselves where did that come from.

These feelings or thoughts may cause us to lash out at someone for no reason that’s apparent to us or the person to whom we lash out.

Have any of you had something said to or about you or done to you that has caused you so much pain that you have not, or feel like you cannot forgive the offender?

Perhaps you’re the offender. Have you said something to or about someone that you should not have said or done?

Have your thoughts about yourself been damaging? Have you caused physical damage to yourself?

Are you carrying feelings of guilt and unforgiveness? Oftentimes when we are angry with someone they may not even know it. As a matter of fact they may not even know that they have offended you. Don’t carry anger or unforgiveness in your heart. It only hurts you.

Think about a time that you may have been angry with someone, or had trouble forgiving them. This may even be that time. When you are angry you expend time and energy on thoughts and or behaviors that are unproductive. The enemy may even try to convince you of things that are not true. Have you ever caught the eye of someone that you may not have a good relationship with only to see them and another person looking at you? Did the enemy try to convince you that they were talking about you? Maybe they were and maybe they weren’t. He will use anything to distract you.

When we are distracted we lose focus, when we lose focus we get off track, when we get off track the enemy has us right where he wants us. We’ve taken our eyes off of Jesus as Peter did and we allow what’s going on around us to cause us to sink, to move us away from our goal.

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select Don’t be Defeated by Unforgiveness.

http://www.gretahillman.com/#!audiovideo/cd8l

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Take Back Your Power

Have you ever been lied to by someone you trust? Have you ever been let down by someone? Perhaps it was someone who had authority over you, a friend, a family member, or even a spouse.

I don’t know of anyone that suffered more disappointment and false accusation than Joseph.  His own brothers conspired to kill him but instead they sold him into slavery after placing him in a pit.

He was falsely accused of rape.  Spent time in prison for a crime he did not commit.  After interpreting the dream of a fellow prisoner he expected an early release from prison, but the fellow prisoner whose dream he interpreted forgot about Joseph once he was released from prison. 

During the entire time of Joseph’s trials and tribulation we do not read of him complaining, but what we do read throughout his journey is the Lord was with him.  

Perhaps you have old wounds that have not been healed. Maybe you are carrying a grudge against someone that has hurt you.  Just as the Lord was with Joseph and caused him to prosper in spite of his circumstances He is also with you and will prosper you in spite of your circumstances if you just as Joseph, forgive, do not try to get revenge, and put your trust in Him.

We read in Mark 11:25-26 and when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

When Joseph’s brothers were made aware by Joseph himself, that not only had he survived the slavery they had sold him into, he also forgave them they were amazed.

Joseph said to his brothers, now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.  So now it was not you that sent me hither but God.

Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why we must endure some of the things that occur in our lives, but what we must remember is that the God that loves us so much that He sacrificed the life of His only son will never allow us to suffer more than we can bear.

Learn to put your trust in God. Forgive those that have caused you harm. Carrying anger or a grudge empowers the very person that has hurt you. Take your power back.  When you put your trust in God you can never be disappointed by man.

 

Victim or Victor?

I am an optimist, a dreamer and expect happy endings. I always have and I always will.  Life is full of highs and lows, obstacles stumbling blocks and hiccups. Sometimes the trials and tribulations that affect our lives are created by our volition. It’s all about choices. We choose certain paths, relationships, jobs, homes, neighborhoods, etc. On the other had as Solomon said time and chance happen to us all.

Whether we have made a decision that has adversely affected our lives or the adverse affect was not caused by anything we have done ourselves how we choose to react to the consequences determine whether we are a victim or victor.

It’s easy to blame others whether it’s their fault of not for the things that we feel have adversely affected our lives. Sometimes it makes us feel better to place blame on others and the fault may belong to others but we are responsible for determining how we will react.

Have I always made the best decisions? No I have not. Have things occurred in my life at the hands of others that I could not avoid? Yes they have? Have I considered my self as a victim? Yes I have. Was my life, were my emotions or my state of mind improved or did I find solace when I saw myself as a victim? Perhaps momentarily, but being a victim prevented growth as well as helping me determine how or even why I found myself in the role of being a victim.

Once I decided to take an objective look at the circumstances which I felt caused me to be a victim I was able to change my status from victim to victor. I learned from decisions I’d made. I forgave those that hurt me and made a conscious decision to change my life.

Perhaps you have been hurt by someone you love and thought loved you. Maybe you were abandoned, lied to cheated on or stolen from. Maybe you were the offender and have caused family or friends to turn against you or could there be an offense you feel guilty for committing that no one knows about but God?

If you fall into any of these categories the first thing you need to do is determine what has caused you to feel like a victim. Once you have determined the cause if repenting is required repent, if forgiving is required forgive. Forgive yourself and forgive your offender. As long as you have not forgiven you are still a victim, victory comes with forgiving. Do not allow your offender whether it’s someone else or your own thoughts to hold you captive. Make a decision today to be victorious. Victory is yours. All you have to do is choose to be a victor rather than a victim.