Daily Delight

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” -Matthew 6:14-15

Holding onto grudges and unforgiveness can put a pause on God’s perfect plan for our lives. It takes courage to let go of what is hurting your heart. I know this from personal experience. I have had things happen that have rocked me to my core, and left me heartbroken and frustrated. I remember asking, “God, why me, why this?” and retreating to a place of bitterness and resentment. This is the worst place to be, where the enemy has an open door to our thoughts, where truth is lost and lies become real. It is in this place of darkness that we need to seek the Lord and to lift our eyes up to him.

As Christians we are called to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in us. In all honesty, forgiveness is not my first reaction. Anger is my go-to emotion, my defense mechanism, especially when I don’t believe forgiveness is owed. I can easily get caught up in judging others' behavior while forgetting about my own lack of obedience.

The Bible is very clear when it comes to forgiveness. If we want to be forgiven of our sins, we must forgive others of their sins, no conditions or contingencies. It is in our forgiveness that God begins to heal our broken hearts. Remember friends, forgiveness doesn’t excuse or condone poor behavior, forgiveness sets us FREE. It rids our heart of anger, discontentment and hatred; it makes room for God to fill it with joy and to use us for his good plans and purpose.

As humans, we are all sinners and will fall short. The same forgiveness we seek from our heavenly Father, we must also give. My prayer is that the Lord will give us grace and strength, to free us from our bondage of unforgiveness, so that we may fully live the life he has created for us. A life of love, joy, purpose, and passion.

About the Author

Brooke Elia

Brooke is married to her best friend Andrew and resides in Southern California. She is a mom to two incredibly lovable kiddos, one daughter and one son. She is a lawyer by trade and a hippie by passion.She enjoys getting lost in a good book and rotates between faith based, legal fiction, and personal development.In her free time, she enjoys chatting up life with her girlfriends and exploring their many Pinterest projects.As a family they enjoy crafting, traveling, board games, cooking, camping, and serving at their local church.She depends on her faith and lattes to get her through life’s daily demands. She is learning to let go of her “perfectionist" tendencies, and extending more grace to herself and others.You can find her on Instagram here and join the Hippie Lawyer Mom family here. 

Friends, my hope is that you too will know that you are loved unconditionally by the Father. You do not have to prove yourself, or your worthiness. God’s love for you is perfect, faithful, unconditional, and forgiving. The only thing you need to do is slow down and receive it.