The joy of holding a grudge...

Have you ever had the joy of holding onto a grudge? It's quite satisfying. Most importantly, a grudge helps us feel better about ourselves. If we've been wronged, we have every right to be angry, hurt, or hardened.

Our grudges can result from small offenses to heavy duty hurt. They can be the result of something that was said behind our backs or to our face. Maybe someone doesn't agree with us or has hurt someone we love. Maybe we've been judged, rightly so or wrongly. Perhaps a promise has been broken, or we bought into a lie. We may have been excluded from a group of friends or betrayed by our loved ones. Whatever the case, we are scarred.

We do have a choice. We can hold onto that grudge that seems so justified or we can FORGIVE. We've been taught that we should forgive, but it certainly goes against our human nature. It does say in the Bible that we will be forgiven as we forgive others. How is forgiveness a choice when we are hurt beyond our imaginations?

Truth is... UNFORGIVENESS holds us in bondage to the person we cannot forgive. It fills our heart with bitterness & ties us to the one that scarred us. When we can't forgive, we can't have peace. We cannot truly move on & function wholly. We are robbed of our joy.

Sometimes forgiveness takes time & diligence.  No matter how hard we try, we continue to be haunted by our hurt. It is not within us to forgive on our own. We try & we try, but we can't seem to make our forgiveness last. I am thankful that when this happens to me, I can ask God to get the job done.  He can empower my heart to let go & heal. On my own, the possible is impossible.