In how hard it is to do sometimes & how to do it and when it is called to do so.
And how much can one take in life & still try to do just that.
Also when one comes down with challenges and illness in life & with the way the world is at this time.
One can go through inner turmoil with this issue.
It can effect ones emotional health and physical health as well.
Though holding onto resentment non-forgiveness can effect ones health even more so in the long run of time.
But expecially when one is suffering or is going through a very hard time in life.
It can be a hard thing to even consider to do.

Why Forgive?

Do not harbor resentment...

It may seem more challengeing then ever to avoid when somone
offends us. The Bible has practical counsel for such situations.
" Be wrathfull, " the apostle Paul wrote, " and yet do not sin",
let the sun not set with you in a provoked state."
{ Ephesians 4:26}

When someone wrongs us, It is only normal to feel a degree of wrath.
That Paul says " be wrathful " implies that anger at times may be proper- perhaps in response to unfair treatment or a miscarriage of justice.
{ Compare 11:29 }

But when left unresolved , even justified anger can have a disastrous consequences , leading to great sin.
{ Genesis 34: 1-31 49: 5-7 } { Psalm 106:32,33 }

So what can you do when you feel provoked to wrath ?

In many cases involving minor transgressions,
you can either settle the situation in your heart..
" and keep silent" or approach the offender and discuss the issue.
{ Psalm 4:4 } { Matthew 5:23,24 }

Either way, it is best to put the matter to rest quickly so resentment does not fester and breed tragic results.
{ Ephesians 4:31 }

Jehovah forgives our sins freely, even sins that we in ignorance may not be aware of committing.
Can we likewise forgive the minor transgression of a fellow human ?
{ Colossians 3:13 } 1 Peter: 4: 8}

Interesting, the Greek word for " forgive " literally means " to let go of.
Forgiveness does not require that we minimize or condone the wrong.
At that times it may simply involve letting go of the situation,
realizing that harboring resentment will only add to your burden and disrupt the unity of the Christian congregation.

Further , it can be detrimental to you health to harbor resentment.
{ Psalm 103:9 }

We all know what stress and holding in anger can do to ones health from a medical angle to be true..

As well as what the medical community is takeing note of ..
that a persons belief system can have a profound effect on ones
life physically and mentally.

And it's a fact of life people deal with theses issues all the time..
But how does one handle the things that will happen to all during life..

How does one deal with it ?

What is one called to do according to their beliefs.
How can a person come to terms with it.
Theses are questions that some people have for them.

On the subject of this thread....
When it comes to forgiveness , repentence, and change..
All though we all far short, yet......
Forgiveness in the right circumstances...
For the right reasons...
At a special time... Can be seen as a gift as well....
I found this good article.. In the 1992 issue of the Plain Truth..

" But That's An Old Photo "....

I have a picture of my cousin on my dresser.
That photograph , taken when she was 12, is an image that perfectly captures how she looked at that age.

But time passes... My cousin is now 30.
Even though she is the same person , many aspects of her life
and personality have changed during the 18 years since that photo was taken.

Most of us have photos of friends and relatives.
If we haven't seen theses individuals for several years,
we think of them in the way they appear in our photos.

What about the photos in our minds ?

Our impressions of people can't and won't change unless we take a new look.
For example , an 18 year old girl , who we'll call Jennifer,
has been through some tough times.
When her parents divorced , Jennifer reached out to the wrong people for support.
She began to use drugs and alcohol , and she became involved in premarital sex.
Many who knew her formed a negative mental snapshot of her in their minds.

But Jennifer has changed since that mental photo was taken.
She's turned from drugs, alcohol and illcit sex , and has now
commited her life to God.

There's just one problem....
Many people still see the old mental photo when they look at Jennifer.

It's not easy for us to change our impressions of others.

When someone repents and turns away from sin,
or when someone works to change a habit,
we don't always notice...
We don't always believe...

But the Bible makes it clear that if a sinner repents,
God will throw away the old photo;
" For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.... "
{ Hebrews 8:12 }

As Christians, we need to let people change.
If someone has changed for the better,
we need to get a fresh roll of film and take a new picture to carry around in our mental wallets.
And we should share that new photograph with others when they pull out their old photos of that person.

----- Kerri Dowd

---GODLY
SORROW

2 Corinthians 7:5-10
__________
I rejoice, not that you
were made sorry, but
that your sorrow led
to repentance. For
you were made sorry
in a godly manner.
--2 Corinthians 7:9
-----------
THIEVES stole nearly $5,000 in sound and office equipment from a church in West Virginia, only to break in the following night to return the items they had taken. Apparently, the guilt of stealing from a church weighed so heavily on their conscience that they felt the need to correct their criminal behavior of breaking the commandment "You shall not steal" (Ex. 20:15). Their actions make me think about the differences between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow.

Paul praised the Corinthians for understanding this difference. His first letter to them was biting as he addressed issues of sin. His words caused sorrow among them, and because of this Paul rejoiced. Why? Their sorrow did not stop at just feeling sad about getting caught or suffering the unpleasant consequences of their sins. Their sorrow was godly sorrow, a genuine remorse for their sins. This led them to repentance--a change in their thinking that led to a renouncing of their sin and turning to God. Their repentance ultimately led to deliverance from their sinful habits.

Repentance is not something we can do unless we have the prompting of the Holy Spirit; it's a gift from God. Pray for repentance today (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
revive, restore---for this we plead.
______________________________
REPENTANCE MEANS HATING SIN ENOUGH TO TURN FROM IT.

Our Daily Bread
Marvin Williams
Blessings, Abishag / JESUS IS LORD!

" Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the handcuffs of hatred."

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
revive, restore---for this we plead.

Sometimes it's hard to forgive ourselves because we are imperfect.
But Satan is the accuser & the guilt bearer the father of lies & there is no sin greater then God's grace.
Christ died so we don't get what we deserve & Heaven is a gift.
Satan sings why would I tell you the truth? That there is a God in heaven that loves you. Interesting song.

Satan Sings...The Father of All Lies!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irhWHG6bsXE