Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty
power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the
devil’s schemes. God gives us the belt of truth, the breastplate of
righteousness, our feet fitted with readiness, and the shield of faith. We have
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
—Ephesians 6:10‑17
If you are unwilling to forgive others, how
can you expect God to forgive you?
*~*~*~*~*~*
From
Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young
Adult Christian Fantasy:
“I
hate you, God—you hear me? You send me broken toys and take away my best
friend, give me parents that don’t understand me and teachers that hate me.
That’s fine. I can take it. You hear me? Then you tease me with a dog I can’t
have.” The bare walls were silent and I buried my face in my arms and sobbed.
—Shale
Snyder, chapter four
*~*~*~*~*~*
There is only one person whom hate completely
destroys. The person who hates. Hate is so all‑consuming that it drives people
to do horrific things they wouldn’t normally do.
Hitler
hated the Jews, and as a result, over six million Jews were slaughtered during
World War II. 1.6 million Russians died when Lenin came to power. How many
people died under Stalin’s regime? At least 20 million people were killed.
This
is hate at its worst. When hateful men are in positions of power, they are
capable of inflicting the most horrid and despicable acts on others. Many of
those victims were flogged, beaten, raped, maimed, and mutilated for no reason—just
because of hate.
You
may not have done something as horrid as one of these men, but whenever you
hate, you’re giving the devil a foothold into your heart. Hate robs you of joy.
It steals from you the blessings of God. Remember, the devil wants all of you—including
your soul.
Jesus
said to Peter, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat (Luke 22:31).”
These
words by Jesus are astonishing. First, they reassure me that Satan has no power
except that which God allows him to have. Second, they remind me that the battle
I fight is a spiritual one—a battle that I can’t win without Jesus coming to my
aid. While we are human, Satan is a real spiritual being with immense power. Our
only protection from him is to arm ourselves with the spiritual weapons of war.
Dear Jesus, even when I don’t feel like
forgiving, help me to forgive anyway. Even when the world says I have my
rights, help me to forgive anyway. Even when I can’t forgive in my own
strength, help me to forgive anyway. Even when the person whom I have forgiven
doesn’t recognize the cost, help me to live in forgiveness anyway.
*~*~*~*
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