Poison – Pastor Liz

“Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

I read this quote last week and it really hit me hard. I even posted it on my facebook status. Because it is SO true! We choose not forgiving someone and we think we’re hurting them. When in all actuality, we are only hurting ourselves. So I did a little research on unforgiveness…

First of all, unforgiveness is a very powerful stronghold that Satan uses to cut and pick away at our heart. A stronghold is a mindset of wrong beliefs where Satan has control because we’ve given in willingly and repeatedly over time. Unforgiveness can lead to broken relationships and can lead to us walking away from God.

There are consequences if we choose to have unforgiveness in our heart:
If we don’t forgive, Satan can take advantage of us.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 – “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

You give Satan even a little way in and he’ll end up taking and corrupting your entire heart. He’s out to kill, steal, and destroy and the other way to overcome is with Jesus who came to bring life and righteousness.
If we don’t forgive, bitterness and resentment spreads throughout our body and can lead to a “heart attack.”
Think of your heart relating to your spiritual life. You have a healthy heart as you read your word, dig into prayer, and live a righteous life. On the other hand, when we eat bad food, and don’t care of our bodies, plaque can build up, and this can eventually lead to cardiac arrest or a heart attack. The same way the sin in our life such as unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc. can suffocate life out of us. When unforgiveness is a major stronghold in our life because of a conflict we may of had with someone, it causes us to obsess over that person/situation and consume our life.
If we don’t forgive, we don’t prosper and God withholds forgiveness from us.
Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

This is why the act of forgiving is VERY important in our spiritual life. Choose to forgive unconditionally. Don’t wait on your feelings because your feelings take time to heal. Giving it up to God can set you free immediately.

Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The last thing I want to say is that forgiveness is not always a one time process. There will be times where the enemy will put thoughts of what happened into your head to bring up the past, but you must choose to get rid of those thoughts and forgive over and over.

Matthew 18:21-22 – “Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to 7 times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not 7 times, but 77 times.”

Now the question is: Who do you need to forgive to allow breakthrough in your life and Satan to lose his stronghold in your heart?
Is it yourself? A family member? A friend? A past relationship?