FORGIVENESS

The flesh loves conflict. It will create conflict where there is no conflict. It will provide you with feelings that will attack your spirit with all kinds of negative feelings of pride, envy and jealousy. These feelings then energise you to destroy and not repair relationships. People have destroyed relationships of years through one small incident. When negative feelings are harboured over a long period of time against an individual it will only take a spark to get the fire going. This fire will destroy. This is why forgiveness is so important to exercise. This forgiveness must be from the heart. The issue must be separated from your feelings about it. This is difficult for the feelings drive the issue and not the issue at all. The issue is just the spark. What is said and how it is said sparks off feelings that are aroused that become the main issue. However the feelings are not addressed and the mole hill becomes a mountain. The mountain then blocks out all light and the participants walk away from it as this is easier then walking in forgiveness and love. This is at the root of all conflicts. Unless a person is prepared to die to their flesh there will be no reconciliation. Reconciliation is covering just as Jesus sacrifice covers our sin. In relationships reconciliation is death to self and uniting in the spirit to foster love and wholeness. Each time you forgive the other you take the step to reconcile and be made whole. This is not primarily for the other but for yourself. Forgiveness sets you free from the evil of the other and sets the other free to forgive too. Real forgiveness is from the heart and leaves you feeling clean and whole and all that is left is the memory and sometimes even the memory of the incident disappears. The Cross exemplifies the way of forgiveness and reconciliation and restoration. Praise be to God.