I'm listening to a Jack Deere teaching, "The Power of Forgiveness" part 1. I am only 23 minutes into it and have heard the first 15 minutes of it about 4 times today. I'm coming up against some massive opposition to listening to this teaching. It's amazing. I know that it's something that I have to listen to as I'm dealing with forgiveness issues right now. I'd much rather sweep the issues under a rug and forget about them than deal with this forgiveness thing that is so hard.
Anyway, Jack, Mr. Deere, is talking about a time he was praying for this 23 year old woman who has arthritis. He's praying and he thinks that it doesn't seem right that someone so young has arthritis. He hears two phrases. "Failed romance". "Fired". So, he asked her about these things and it turns out that a guy she was involved with broke up with her and around that time she had been fired from a job that she loved working with people that she loved.
Jack told her that she needed to do two things. He said that first she needed to tell God that she forgives them for firing her and then ask God to forgive her for hating them all these years.
Then Jack went on to say that it's not popular in "the church" to say that you hate someone. Some people will say, "you don't really hate someone, you're just very irritated with them." He was saying that you need to be real and understand what it is that you are really feeling. Stop being "religious". Can't we call hate, "resentment, bitterness, advanced loathing". 1 John - if it's not love, it's hatred.
Anger, unforgiveness, rottenness. Wanting someone to pay for their wrong. Proverbs 27:4 - Anger is cruel. Anger is the exact opposite of the currency of the Kingdom of Christ. When we hold anger in our heart, and we don't want to forgive them because they don't deserve it. It's like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies from it.
Lord, thank you for helping me to let go of this. You are an awesome God who loves me.
The beauty of the cross will have it's way in me.
Take my life
I belong to You
Take my life
You make all things new
Take my life
I belong to you
Take my life
You make all things new
I belong to you
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