Drink Deep- From Unforgiveness to Being Right w God!

Mathew 24:10-13, Luke 17:4, Proverbs 18:19, 2 Cor 10:4-5

Once we are wronged, we are faced with the opportunity to make a decision to forgive - to release that person from their wrongdoing. This requires an act of the will, usually in the face of some very real and intense emotions of hurt, disappointment and anger. However, after we made the choice to forgive, many a times, residual emotions of bitterness, anger, resentment and hatred folllows.

These residual emotions are strongholds. Strongholds create set patterns of reasoning through which all incoming information is processed. Although first erected for protection, they become a source of torment and distortion because they war against the knowing or knowledge of God.

When we filter everything through past hurts, rejections and experiences, we find it impossible to believe God. We cannot believe He means what He says. We doubt His goodness and faithfulness since we judge Him by the standards set by man in our lives. But God is not man! He cannot lie, His ways are not like ours, and His thoughts are not ours.

How to walk right with the Lord to truly forgive and tear down strongholds of offenses and residual emotions? The Lord teaches us in Luke 17:4

"if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying 'I repent', you shall forgive him."

But what did the disciples response to this seemingly impossible command? "Lord, increase our faith!".

Indeed, tearing down strongholds and forgiving a person requires Faith. Luke 17:6 "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ' Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea." Indeed, uprooting offenses, unforgiveness and residual emotions is an act of Faith, that requires the will, obedience and prayer.

What are the steps then, to experience true freedom and being right with God?

• Declare to forgive the person.
• Exercise Obedience by praying that God will reward you for obeying Him
• Excerise Faith in God by praying that God will bless the person (Pray for the Lord to bless him in the way you want Him to bless you.)

When I held offense against someone, I build a wall of protection and became guarded against him. Everything I did, I passed through my rationalizations and filterations in my thoughts to justify my actions towards him. I justified them as "wisdom", as being a "man of peace". In reality, I was guarded and had a real lack of Faith in God that He knows and allowed this person to offend me to grow in my Faith. I also lacked in Faith that even if I was to suffer a "loss", it was real "gain" in Christ when I chose to love, to bless this person.

Over time, despite my "wise" rationalizations, my situtaions grew tackier and more perilous, with this person time and time again, attacking and offending me. I began to be seriously misunderstood by those around me, and worse, I felt God not answering my prayers to "make my enemies suffer". I felt that there was a wall between me and God.

In time, when the Lord showed me the root of the issue, the Lord challenged me to exercise Faith to the extend of blessing this person. I began not only to declare to forgive this person, but to pray that this person's ministry increase larger by the day, his walk with God will be so intimate etc (Began to pray for him the prayers I normally pray for myself) I began to exercise Faith that God is in control, and I am not a victim of any person, or any system.

Over time, I was set free. Emotions of anger, bitterness, fear left me. I was right with God and the next time I saw this person, no matter what he did, I could interpret them in Faith, not through strongholds.

I was free, I was right with God.

What's your wall between you and God? Drink Deep - Move with Faith from Unforgiveness to being right with God!