Forgiveness

I am amazed at the level of hatred some people have for Lebron James.  I happen to see his wall postings the day after Dallas won the NBA championship, and I was deeply saddened by the way people are treating him after losing the championship.  There were so many mean and evil comments that people wrote on his wall.  It reminded me of a sermon I heard a while back.  The preacher made a statement that stuck with me and I dwell on it daily.  He said, "It is amazing how God forgives us many times and we are so hard on people and refuse to forgive."  There is so much truth in that statement.  The Lebron incident is another example of how people hold on and want to punish others for their mistakes or shortcomings.  What if God was like us?  How many of us would still be without fault?

How does this relate to a balanced life?  Making a choice to not forgive will eat away at your life like cancer.  If you can not learn to forgive, then you will consistently live your life in anger and pain.  In order to have a balanced life you must learn to cleanse from the inside out.  Release the people or person that you are not willing to forgive.  Releasing them will release you from a life of anger and pain.  It only hurts you when you choose not to forgive.  Forgive yourself for making mistakes, bad decisions, or bad choices.  You must do this before you can move forward.  I am always reminded of Paul's letter from prison when I think about forgiving someone who hurt me or did not have my best interest at heart.  

Philippians 3:12-13 (Amplified Bible)

"Not that I have now attained, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me and made me His own.  I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own; but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining  forward  to what lies ahead."

Paul has every reason to be angry, because they have falsely imprisoned him.  Instead he made a decision to forget the past and forgive those who hurt him.  

I challenge you to forgive and continue to strive for what lies ahead!!!!