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{"id":1460,"date":"2014-01-20T10:01:15","date_gmt":"2014-01-20T16:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mtvpastor.com\/?p=1460"},"modified":"2014-01-20T10:01:15","modified_gmt":"2014-01-20T16:01:15","slug":"how-to-break-the-power-of-unforgiveness-in-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/newwineskins\/how-to-break-the-power-of-unforgiveness-in-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Break the Power of Unforgiveness in Your LIfe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"Next-Steps\"$ <\/a>This past Sunday at Mt Vernon Church<\/a> we talked about taking the next step of forgiveness. When you know you need to forgive but you don\u2019t know how, here\u2019s a way to move forward:<\/p>\n

HOW TO BREAK THE POWER OF UNFORGIVENESS IN YOUR LIFE<\/p>\n

1. Be forgiven yourself.<\/strong> You can\u2019t give what you don\u2019t have. If you aren\u2019t forgiven yourself, then you can\u2019t show Christ\u2019s forgiveness to others. You may have been running from God for years. Maybe it\u2019s time to stop running and accept God\u2019s forgiveness.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhoever has been forgiven little loves little\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Luke 7:47).<\/p>\n

2. Admit that bitterness isn\u2019t working for you.<\/strong> Your current strategy isn\u2019t working. Bitterness isn\u2019t doing anything to make the situation better. The worst thing about bitterness is that it never hurts the intended target, it only hurts you. It\u2019s like drinking rat poison and expecting it to kill a bunch of rats. The only person you\u2019re going to hurt is yourself. \u201cGet rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Ephesians 4:31). Choose to be better, not bitter.<\/p>\n

3. Constantly remind yourself how much God has forgiven you.<\/strong> This step is key, because we have different standards for different people. For instance, we feel that everyone ought to obey the speed limit when they drive, but we\u2019re okay if we speed (just a little bit). When it comes to forgiveness, we\u2019re convinced that everyone ought to forgive everyone. We\u2019re really convinced that everyone we\u2019ve hurt ought to forgive us. But when it comes to us letting go and forgiving, we refuse. What does the Bible say? \u201cBe kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.\u00a0Follow God\u2019s example, therefore, as dearly loved children.\u201d<\/em> Ephesians 4:32-5:1. We forgive because we\u2019ve been forgiven so completely by God.<\/p>\n

4. Continually make the decision that they don\u2019t owe you anymore.\u00a0<\/strong>Whoever \u201cthey\u201d is, forgiveness is making the decision that they don\u2019t owe you anymore. We\u2019ll talk more about that in the next post. \u201cThen Peter came to Jesus and asked, \u201cLord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?\u201d\u00a0Jesus answered, \u201cI tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.\u201d<\/em> Matthew 18:21-22.<\/p>\n

QUESTION: What\u2019s the hardest thing you deal with when it comes to forgiveness?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"