Forgiveness isn’t easy. In fact it is one of the toughest challenges people face; along with overcoming fears of public speaking. Self-sabotage comes in when people do not recognize that forgiveness will open the pathway to life.The best way to overcome self-sabotage is to forgive.
When you choose to live in unforgiveness you are only hurting yourself. Period. You are hindering everything in your life. Nothing can grow through concrete and when you are unforgiving that is as hard as you are. And concrete takes a jackhammer to break. As such; your life will be as grey as the concrete. If only I knew this sooner.
What I didn’t know was holding me back. I heard all the sermons to ‘forgive’ and bla bla bla which were nicely stated but beyond that so what? I didn’t know what I was blocking in my life, how I was actually sabotaging my life. I had no clue! And perhaps you are me where you have heard it all a thousand or a million times to forgive and sure sure ‘I know I need to’ and then another year goes by. Well; don’t be like me. Don’t sabotage your life and future. Forgive. And what does that mean exactly? You may too be wondering how you are sabotaging your life by not forgiving so let me clearly spell it out for you:
1)Your unforgiveness hurts you most. Matthew 15:18 is clear: ‘But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.’ Hurt people hurt people and it is out of pain that unforgiveness operates. But get this: it’s a downward spiral. Your hurt keeps you hurting and while others can see it; they can’t free you. There is nothing that anyone else can do for you except tell you the obvious- forgive. When you don’t you are allowing the sin and pain caused by others (and yourself) to be what you live in. The bitterness, resentment, anger, broken relationships, strife, impatience and more are all what hurt those who don’t forgive. People not living in that aren’t hurt. So if you want healing forgive.
2) Your unforgiveness hinders you the most. God has a plan for your life. Period. Whether you agree or not doesn’t change the Truth from being true. There is a plan and when you choose to not forgive you are hindering that plan. You see; unforgiveness is one of the biggest hindrances to forward progress than you will ever enounter. There is nothing greater because that hindrance of unforgiveness keeps you living less than. It keeps you from your spiritual gifts. It keeps you from being healthy and in healthy relationships and it keeps you from being used by God to the full capacity that He intended.
I remember a time in my life when I cried out to the Lord asking to be used; and nothing. Then of course I felt more rejected and dejected because even God didn’t want me. Now; that was tough to get over-myself that is. You see; God couldn’t do anything in me so long as I was unforgiving because everything He is using me for is based upon the very thing that was my struggle. Forgiving others!
3) Your unforgiveness halts your life. When you look at your life are you believing God for the breakthrough? Are you wanting your business to expand? Your church to grow? Your marriage to be as exciting as it was in the beginning? Stop sabotaging yourself! Forgive.
If nothing in your life is progressing the way that it should; there is a reason. There is always a reason; and more often than not it is the reason you do not yet know.
Case in point: I thought I forgave. I truly did. I said all the words that the preachers said ‘I forgive’ you and yada yada yada. I played the game and claimed it all but yet nothing was happening in my life. And I had no idea why. It was like being stuck at a red light that just never changed. And there I sat.
When the clue came in the form of a phone call and my Bible teacher bluntly telling me my unforgiveness issue I’ll be honest; I was scared. I was shocked and felt like I was going to puke. I thought I dealt with my unforgiveness. I had no idea what was left and the journey that I was going to be taking. Absolutely none. Not only this; I had no clue that I sat at that red light for years longer than I needed.
In your life; what isn’t moving at the pace that it should be? What is the breakthrough you are believing God for? It doesn’t matter what it is what matters is that you carefully inquire of the Lord about the level of self-sabotage that has entered your life unknowingly or knowingly so that you can overcome it; and the best way is through forgiveness. It is one of the best means of breakthrough without needles or terrible side effects.
For more about forgiveness and wholeness in Christ watch ‘Living in Forgiveness’ weeknights at 9:30pm CST on the UANetwork.
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