Daily Devo
Not an Option
By: Kathie Welch
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
In her book, "The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life", Hannah Whitall Smith writes about a man struggling down a road while carrying a heavy burden. A passing driver offered him a ride, the man happily accepted, but he continued to carry his heavy load while seated. When the driver asked the man to lay down his burden, he replied he was so grateful for the ride, he couldn’t think of letting the driver carry his burden too. It may be a humorous story, but it is also a powerful lesson about carrying around needless burdens.
A deadly and almost imperceptible burden that many people carry is unforgiveness. It's imperceptible, because it is often deeply ingrained in us before salvation. Some Christ followers have a difficult time dealing with post-salvation hurts, so they justify their hurts by hanging on to unforgiveness. Just as that man's burden made it difficult for him to walk (and rest in the wagon) in that story, the burden of unforgiveness will weigh down our Christian Walk. The past hurts we suffered were Satan’s attempt to destroy us. But unforgiveness is Satan's ongoing attempt to bind us. Satan uses unforgiveness to keep us from the freedom Christ earned for us on the cross. Without realizing it, we pick up this burden and stumble along, not even realizing how much it encumbers us.
Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
It is important to remember that forgiveness is a command from the Lord, not an option! Our loving Father didn't want unforgiveness to inhibit our fellowship with Him, so He sacrificed His only Son! Jesus is our forgiveness, so how can we not extend that forgiveness He gave us to others? Our Heavenly Father is not insensitive to our hurts. He knows how those hurts made us feel, but He also knows holding on to them gives them ongoing power. Our past hurts won't be healed until we completely surrender them to God!
Corrie ten Boom spent time in Nazi concentration camps, and she experienced the horror of the Holocaust firsthand. But here's what she said about forgiving others; “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” Corrie ten Boom
Christ died to set you free, so lay your burden of unforgiveness at His feet and leave it there!