Unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and waiting for the other person to die. ~ Marianne Williamson
Unforgiveness is a soul-killer. Envy and bitterness, once taking up residence in the heart, drain us of everything - our energy, our thoughts, our compassion, our joy. Forgiving others is not only freeing for them, but also for us.
In Luke 17, Jesus is talking to his disciples about forgiveness and He exhorts them to forgive those who offend them and then repent, and to do this over and over as often as necessary. He said that they MUST forgive. The disciples, realizing how difficult it is to forgive, cried out, "Lord, increase our faith." So what did Jesus do? He didn't say, "Okay, I'll increase your faith." Instead He told a story highlighting a servant who did what was his DUTY. In other words, Jesus subtly corrected His disciple and said (My paraphrase), "You do not need greater faith to forgive ... You need greater obedience. It is your duty to forgive, for you have been forgiven."
Let us know play around with forgiveness. Beware of pretending that you need more faith to forgive. Instead, ask God to give you a changed heart, that grasps His incredible forgiveness toward us, and therefore compels us to forgive others.
