Have you ever wondered what are some of the major struggles that people have…I’m talking about emotional issues? Think about that for a moment. If we are honest, we could probably come up with a pretty good list, but I’m going to throw this one out there and say that a lack of forgiveness is a major issue that people have in their lives. People carry around wounds and hurts from the past, broken relationships and pain. These emotional scars cause much more than just emotional damage and with time they start to cause physical damage to our bodies.
It is in our best interest to learn how to deal with forgiveness issues in our lives. Many of us have carried these burdens for so long that we have become oblivious to the weight that we bear each day.
Would it not be such a relief to lay down that burden at the feet of our savior? Allowing God’s spirit to live within you will enable you to stand up straight – no longer bound by the overwhelming weight that we have been bearing on our own.
Over the next couple of days, I am going to write about, “Forgiveness” and to start it off I am going to ask that today you read a short story that Jesus told to His disciples. This story called a parable is found in Matt. 18:21-35. See you tomorrow.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Anchor In The Storm 