Let Go of Old Grudges

I’m under God’s conviction.

There’s this person in my life I thought I’d forgiven long ago. That is, until I realized I didn’t want to bless this person, give to them, or pray for them. At just a mention of their name, yucky emotions made me annoyed.

Why am I still so upset?

You can’t just brush offenses under a rug like dirty crumbs and expect them to self-clean. There they sit there, until one day you pull back the covers to see the disgust of what you’ve left untended.

It is not pretty.

The unforgiveness we leave unchecked goes unhandled. What goes unhandled grows uncontrollably. Ungodly growth has ruined a soul or two.

Friends, don’t discount even the smallest amount of growth. A little touch of poison ivy can cause immense bodily agony. A poisonous bite from the wrong insect can send one to their deathbed in a minute. A weed can take over a bed of flowers in a flash.

I am not trying to invoke fear, but I am trying to say this: a little unforgiveness can cause much distress within a soul and body.

We don’t want this and shouldn’t allow it. So, let’s plant a stake in the ground. God has far better for us.

We must break down the set-up of unforgiveness in our heart and return back to love. What the enemy has purposed to ruin us, we must let go so God can remake us. It is the only way true love prevails.

Who do you need to forgive today? Might you consider letting go of the thousand hurts they still inflict on you in exchange for one simple act of letting go?

I am going to join you in this process right now.

Here we go:

Father God, we feel angry, hurt, irritated, alone, ____ and left behind by this person. We hate how they made us feel. Yet, we are thankful that you, Jesus, sympathize with our pain. Not only this, you understand it. You know pain; you know the cross. You also know humility. Although the pain is real, we let go of what hurt is still hurting us. We clear room for your new life. We welcome in your grace. We give you the offense right now. We breathe in grace and breathe out what unforgiveness does not belong to us anymore. We breathe in the love you have for us, we breathe out the shame we feel for holding on to this for so long. We accept what Jesus did on the cross today and we celebrate it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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