resolutions step 2

Now that we have done our best to create a short term memory loss we have to move on from that point. We can forget our failures, but there is more to forget about last year than just failures. We must forget our grudges. I know, I know this is a tough one for many people, I for one think I do a great job of it. I prayed about 15 years ago that God would take away my sourness and all my grudges so that I could be used in this city to reach the lost for Christ. That I must say is exactly what God did, I have been done wrong numerous times by people and shook it off and kept on going. People sometimes ask me how I can face someone who did me wrong, Jeff How do you do it? It's simple, I do my best to never harbor any grudges.
My illustraton to our youth ministry many moons ago was one of acid in a cup. I took some acid and poured it into a stirofoam cup, then let it sit there while I was talking. I talked along and made references to the cup several times, then at the end you could see that the bottom and the majority of the sides of the cup were completely eaten up by the acid. That illustrates perfectly how grudges affect us, they eat us up slowly from the inside out and they don't bother anybody but ourselves. You pass that person in the hallway at school, or in the office and your blood pressure goes up a little bit, but not theirs. They are just fine and say hello, meanwhile you are shortening your life with fits of rage inside. It makes no sense to put yourself through this at all.
Colossians 3:13 Bear with one another and forgive each other whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Colossians 3:13
There you have it, Paul tells us that God expects us to forgive and forget just as He does. God washes away our sins, our times of faltering and makes them no longer. We, on the other hand, take the transgressions of others and multiply them and announce them by carrying grudges and wanting revenge. If God ever, just for one day decided to start carrying grudges and seeking revenge we would be gone in an instant.
So forgive those who do you wrong, forgive and forget so that you can free yourself from it as well as them.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!