Forgiveness

Matthew18:21-22
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord ,how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered,I tell you not seven times but seventy-seven times!"

"Exercising forgiveness doesn't mean we have to pretend nothing happened. It doesn't mean we weren't deeply hurt by that persons actions. Nor does it mean that we have to continue trusting this person after his or her character flaws become evident.Forgiveness simply means that we let go of our need for vengeance so that we can live without the negative effects of that person's sin."- Shannon Ethridge(Completely Blessed)

"Conflict starts in our thinking"
"Focus on what's right not who's right"- Pastor Jays sermon(10/30/2010)

1Peter3:9
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but WITH BLESSING, BECAUSE TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED so that you may inherit a blessing."

It is so easy to hold a grudge and I must say I am the best at it. It is definitely not something I am proud of, but it is the truth. And I must say family members are the easiest to not forgive one can hold something over their heads forever because they are family and it is expected that they will always be there no matter what we say and do. But that still does not mean that we don't hurt them by the grudges we are holding and by holding their past sins over their heads! Personally, I have done this to someone I love for a long time I have tried to make their life as miserable as possible ,by not allowing a relationship between them and I and them and other members of my family. I have constantly talked bad about this person and made sure that all her past sins were known and that they felt separated from everyone else. No it was definitely not right and something I am ashamed to say I did for so long! I knew it was wrong to being with but for years now I have tried to justify it by saying what they did to me was wrong, what they did to so and so was wrong, how they treat this person is wrong and their lifestyle is not something I admire or want to strive to be like but all those excuses are COMPLETELY WRONG!!!! Yes what they did was wrong, and how they treated others was wrong and the life they once lived may not be something I admired or strived for, but there is no excuse that can justify the behavior I expressed toward this person. I could have experienced such joy and blessings from this person over the years but I chose to cut them off from everything, I know it hurt them but I was also just hurting myself. I know they have gone through some hard things in life that I will never have to experience and I should have long ago just given their wrongs toward me and given them to God and forgiven them. I don't know what was going on in their life that made them do those things, but I should have been sympathetic toward them and tried to help them out instead of becoming bitter. All that said if I could take back the last two years and the wickedness I expressed toward this person I would. They did not deserve that and I am truly sorry for any pain I have caused them. I want them to know I forgive them and I hope one day I could be forgiven as well. I know we are now not who we once were and I hope God will bring us back together one day.