I grew up around kudzu. Imported in the 1800’s, it was intended to stop erosion. And it did. But it couldn’t be isolated. It also took over trees. Houses. I think it can be blamed for the recent recession.
The problem with kudzu is that it chokes everything in it’s path. It’s the same way with unforgiveness. Face it, we’ve all been wronged. We’ve received someone’s anger when we didn’t deserve it. We’ve been betrayed when we were loyal. We’ve been stabbed in the back and the front.
We think we can isolate unforgiveness to a certain area of our lives. But it takes over and chokes everything else out.
There are 3 steps we need to take:
- Refuse – refuse to let unforgiveness take root in your life. It’s a choice, not a feeling. Feelings are real, but not reliable. Choose the truth over feeling.
- Remember – remember how much you have been forgiven through God’s grace in Jesus.
- Release – release the offense to God. Easier said than done. Sometimes it’s counseling. Sometimes it’s just writing it down on a piece of paper, sealing it in an envelope, and putting God’s name on it. It may be a process. You can hold on to it, but it will choke out the life God has for you.
Challenge: Forgive the offense and focus on the future.
