Too Heavy to Carry


 Ephes. 4:32 
    Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
 

Prayer

That the forging Grace of God you've experienced in your own life will characterize also your attitude toward those who wrong you.

 
Someone once asked "Did you know the longer you carry a grudge the heavier is gets?" Refusing to forgive those who wrong us can be wearying weight on the soul.
 
On the other hand, when we choose to forgive, we shed a huge burden we simply don't need to carry through life. It can make us absolutely "lighthearted" to put down the burden of a grudge.
 
What can you do to keep from carrying grudges and unforgiving spirit through life?
For one thing, clarify your "inner occupation." Do you want to make judging others your spiritual career path? Jesus said "Do no judge lest you be judges" (Matt.7:1), indicating that pursuing the occupation of judge will boomerang on you.

Judging, just like taking vengeance, belongs to God, not to people: "Vengeance is mine: I will repay, said the Lord" (Rom. 12:19). Even after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, he said to God, "Against Thee , Thee only, I have sinned" (Ps. 51:4).


 Since God makes the rules, He is the only true Judge. People who wrong others really wrong God more then others. Relieve yourself of the responsibility that actually belongs only to God.

 Giving up that judgeship means you also relieve yourself of the responsibility of punishment. Forgiving someone doesn't necessarily mean we forget immediately or even completely, but it does mean we no longer hold a private grudge that desires to punish, or to see them punished.

 We can also avoid carrying grudges by resoling conflicts as they occur. "Do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Eph. 4:26). Which would you rather face- the short-term, emotional pain of asking another to forgive you for your anger, or carrying  the cancerous feeling of bitterness for a lifetime? It's your choice.

 Discuss:

 How would  people who know you best describe you? Do you tend to carry

grudges? Evaluate if you are carrying any grudges at home, at work or at church. 

 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)  
    Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.