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The Struggle With Unforgiveness
All of us have been hurt at one time
or another, and the offender may well
have been someone we love. We often
attempt to get past the pain of such
situations with comments like, "That's
okay" or "Don't worry about it," and
yet we just can't seem to shake that
penetrating sting. Why aren't we able
to let it go?
One reason that we struggle with
unforgiveness is a simple matter of
pride. Why don't we forgive? "Because
that person hurt ME!" we cry. As a
result of our offended pride, the
injustice grows much greater than we
should allow. It becomes an issue of
personal insult rather than an honest
mistake or flash of insensitivity.
Another factor in our unforgiveness is
bitterness. We become resentful when
we refuse to deal honestly with hurt
feelings and then allow the matter to
fester in our heart. A growing sense
of irritation spreads through our
spirit like an infection. It has been
rightly said that bitterness is like a
poison that you prepare for someone
else and then drink yourself. While it
silently destroys our life, the person
who hurt us may remain completely
unaware of our dark feelings.
Finally, we struggle with
unforgiveness because we often have a
poor idea of what it is all about. Or,
we might be sitting around waiting for
an apology that may never come.
If you have been hurt recently, pray
for the strength and honesty to
approach the offender and say, "You
did this and it hurt me. But I love
you and refuse to allow this to
destroy our relationship."
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