April 23, 2024

Forgiveness is Love

SeekingHimLogoLove is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
 
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails….

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

Wow, Paul sure gave the Church alot to live up to. We are not to hold grudges, not to gossip with others, not to lie about each other, not to  boast about ourselves.  We are to be encouragers—a light to those around us.  We are to show love to each other when we would rather be hateful or angry.

Human nature says ‘an eye for an eye,’ but God tells us we are to love at all times.  When things happen to us we are to seek His counsel first. We are to lay it down before Him and pray for discernment to know how to react or how to handle the situation.

Paul understood what God wanted. He knew God wanted our best, but in order to give our best we have to let go of stuff!  Stuff we have hung onto for years.  Stuff we have let stay in our lives for far too long.  God wants us to forgive those who have wronged us in order to receive His greatest gifts.  As we forgive, we are forgiven.  For those who are holding on to unforgiveness, hard times are experienced, sometimes illness.

When we forgive, a weight is lifted from our hearts.  We will feel light, we will feel as if the world is at our fingertips, as when we first believed in Jesus Christ.  We can have that now.  Unforgiveness weighs a ton and sometimes we don’t realize it is piling up.

We need to release those who have wronged us and forgive ourselves.  We need to let God take away everything that holds us from reaching our dreams.  Stop believing the lies Satan has told us.  God wants us to love always, and not hold on to the wrongs in this world.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Heavenly Father, help us forgive.  Help us to love You as You designed us to.  Show us ways to forgive.  Help us break away the chains that bind us to unforgiveness.  You can show us where we need to forgive and move along to become freely serve You and Your kingdom whether in our own home, in the community, or in the world.                                                             In Jesus’ name, amen.

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About Tina Marin

Tina Marin – Blog Contributor
Tina lives in Murfreesboro, TN with her husband of 19 years. They have two grown kids who are thriving and living on their own along with her mother-in-law who moved in May of 2013. She works outside the home as a payroll administrator. She volunteers at her local church in early childhood ministry as a large group leader, as well as working with the Teens ministry. Tina enjoys learning more about God, and likes to spend time with her family and friends.

Comments

  1. Tina, you’re right that this passage gives us ‘a lot to live up to.’ “…it keeps no record of wrongs” is to forgive, and that is a tough one, but God expects, even commands us to forgive. I’m so thankful that we have God’s Holy Spirit to help us live out love as God wants us to.
    ‘Amen’ to your prayer.