How does that title make you feel? Nervous? Freaked?  We could say, “Forgive or watch your life fall apart” or “Forgive or stay sick and broke, stressed and diseased.” “Forgive or watch your kids go the wrong way”. 

While the title might sound “gloom and doom” it is actually a life-saving Word from God.  Mark 11:23-26 (ERV) says:

“The truth is, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, then God will do it for you. 

“So I tell you to ask for what you want in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours. 

“When you are praying and you remember that you are angry with another person about something, forgive that person. Forgive them so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.”

”[But if you don’t forgive others, then your Father in heaven will not be able to forgive your sins.]”

I saw something this morning that really hit me. Galatians 5:6 (TPT)  When you’re … joined to Him (God), circumcision and religious obligations can benefit you nothing. All that matters now is living in the faith that is activated and brought to perfection by LOVE.

Faith works by love. No forgiveness, no love. Conversely, no love, no faith. 

Without love, no matter what you think about it, there is no faith. And here’s another kicker:

Hebrews 11:6 (AMP)  But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him,

Is not forgiving someone worth that? Not having faith, not walking with God, or not pleasing Him?

To forgive is NOT a feeling. It is a choice. People say, “I can’t forgive them. Wouldn’t that mean they are getting away with it?”

It has nothing to do with them. It’s between you and God. It’s letting go of animosity and anger, and walking in love. You just make a choice to forgive for your sake and in obedience to God.

At first, you won’t FEEL forgiveness. That’s okay. You may have to talk to yourself several times before you begin to realize you aren’t even thinking about that person negatively anymore.

“I forgive them as a choice, in obedience to God.” Then after that, “No, I refuse to think about what they did. I have chosen to forgive them.” 

By forgiving you are saving yourself a world of hurt. You stay in that Secret-Place of protection that Psalm 91 talks about. You don’t open the door to the enemy to pull a John 10:10 on you, stealing, killing and destroying things in your life.

Most importantly, you don’t block God’s ability to bless you.  Isn’t that worth the obedience to forgive?

♥