Danger in Unforgiveness
Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
unforgiveness, is the practice of engaging in ruminative thoughts of anger, vengeance, hate, and resentment that have unproductive outcomes for the offended
As humans, there is no way we won't be offended as we live our life daily, even if we try to please everyone through our journey with and in God.
There is no possibilities that a person will live and not be offended throughout his life time, but when these offences come, we are admonished to forgive no matter the gravity of sin committed, this is the commission of God and the nature of our father in heaven
He did not just commands us to do so, He practiced the forgiving spirit unto all mankind, even when we are yet to seek forgiveness from Him,
He provided a means to forgiveness by sacrificing unto us His only begotten Son, that by this, we have a new life and relationship with Him and in extension we should forgive others who offended us.
Forgiving one another is not possible with a canal mind, it is not possible when we live our life through the emotions of the flesh, but it is possible if the fruit of the Holy Spirit lives and grow in us.
Failure to forgive one another put us in great danger both on earth and in eternity.
1. Loss of relationship with God
If someone says, ‘I love God’, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. - 1 John 4:20-21 (NKJV)
When you fail to forgive those who offended you, your relationship with God becomes halted, though you would claim you are serving God and doing all necessary act of service but still harbor that spirit of not forgiving in heart. You cannot please God with act of service if you fail to forgive.
2. It births anger, hatred and vengeance
When you fail to forgive, anger sets in, whatever the person does irritates you, the more you have contact with the person, the more anger arouses on your heart, even if the person does the right thing, it becomes wrong in your sight... Harbouring anger in you will lead to another sin called vengeance, and when vengeance sets in, you become an offender of the same sin.
3. Loss of Joy
Unforgiven is an emotional feeling that affects the offended, Robert G. Menzies said "It is a simple but sometimes forgotten truth that the greatest enemy to present joy and high hopes is the cultivation of retrospective bitterness", your joy will be lost each time you have the thought of the person that offended you... It affects your psychological thinking.
4. Loss of freedom
Remember how your relationship was before the person offended you, remember how intimate you both were, but after the offence, the relationship becomes broken, you no long associate, or share things in common, even if the person is your last hope... By this many has lost their God given opportunities.
5. Loss of heavenly home.
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:26).
If we do not forgive one another, how then can we be forgiven by God for countless sins we commit against him on a daily bases?, if God doesn't forgive us, how then shall we reign with Him?
Unforgiveness may be a simple harmless feeling, but when it gets root in your heart, it births bitterness, envy, hatred and strife. And the bible says whoever does this things shall not inherit the kingdom of God... (Galatians 5:19-21)
It may be difficult to forgive those who offended you, looking at the gravity of sin they committed, but if you truly want to please God, having a healthy and smooth relationship with Him and receive back your joy, then it is a must you forgive no matter how great the sin can be.
Ii is not possible with a canal mind, so the need for you to go back to God, ask for forgiveness for not forgiving, then ask for the Holy spirit to help you through, by this the fruit of holy spirit will become rooted in your heart and grow daily.
The greatest danger of not forgiving is if you die with that grudge, hatred and vengeance, you are going to hell.
Tomorrow may be too late, call that person now, forgive that person now, rebuild that bridge of friendship now and have a new smooth relationship with both man and God.
Even if the person is not willing, do your path and leave the rest for God.
God bless you.
Prayer key:
1. Lord thank you for the blessing of another day in Jesus Christ name.
2. Lord forgive me for not forgiving those who offended me in Jesus Christ name.
3. Lord, help me to forgive and restore your joy in me in Jesus Christ name.
4. Lord, thank you for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.