Seed Thoughts
By Lynette Hagin
It seems that I say in every December issue of The Word of Faith, it’s hard to believe another year has come and is almost gone. The years go by so quickly that we can hardly keep track of them. The holiday season is here and that puts most of us women in a tizzy. We think of Christmas shopping, parties, and cooking.
Trying to find the perfect gift for family members can be frustrating. Often we buy gifts and those gifts are returned the day after Christmas because something didn’t fit or it wasn’t what someone wanted. As I stated in last year’s “Seed Thoughts”, I decided I could eliminate this type of stress. Now, either I take my family shopping and they pick out their gifts, or I give them money. It sure simplifies my life.
Christmas is a time when families get together. This should be a pleasant time when memories are made. However, holidays can also be a time when families get in squabbles and stop speaking to each other for a long time. Recently in my prayer time, the Lord brought to my attention that many Christians are holding on to offenses. Someone says or does something that offends them. And they develop a grudge and bitterness creeps into their lives. Then they wonder why things are not going well in their lives.
This is an area we all need to examine. My fatherin- law spoke about offense so much that it made an impression on me. He would quote Mark 11:23–24: “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
And I would get excited as he spoke about believing God for things. But then he would say, “If you don’t practice Mark 11:25, the previous scriptures will not work for you.” He would then quote Mark 11:25: “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
I would think, Why couldn’t he have ended with the previous scriptures? However, he caused me to take inventory of my life. I’d ask myself, “Am I holding a grudge against someone? Have I forgiven everyone who has wronged me?” As I was taking inventory, I had to remember that forgiveness includes forgetting what the wrong included. Sometimes forgetting was harder than forgiving. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before. But she acted as though she had never heard of the incident. “Don’t you remember it?” her friends asked. “No,” Barton replied, “I distinctly remember forgetting it.” When it comes to offense, we should concentrate on forgetting rather than remembering.
I have found that when I allow wounds of hurt to heal through forgiveness, love is restored in my heart for that person. Ephesians 4:31–32 in the New Living Translation says: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
This month we celebrate the birth of Christ. God sent us His very best gift—His only Son. Christ’s mission was to redeem mankind from sin. God so loved the world that He was willing to forgive us. He was willing to show mercy to a sinful, lost, and dying world. Jesus Christ was willing to become the Supreme Sacrifice.
Let me ask a thought provoking question. Do you possess God’s forgiving spirit? Or do you have a judgmental spirit—one that is unwilling to forgive others? If you are holding a grudge against someone, I encourage you to repent and go to that person. Apologize for allowing a root of bitterness to creep into your life. You will find that things in your life will turn around for you when you apply this principle.
