It’s a stronghold that slips into the recesses of your heart cloaked in promises of self protection. Like an expensive street drug it numbs your senses offering you a temporary escape from your current reality; all the while keeping it’s destructive nature out of sight.

And this stronghold – doesn’t discriminate.

It pays no attention to race, age, gender, or education. It’s host can be a son or daughter; mother or grandmother; rich or poor; sinner or saint.

The stronghold I’m referring to of course, is the stronghold of unforgiveness.

Everything it promises to you is exactly what it takes from you. It often finds you full, but always leaves you empty. And unforgiveness is poison to your purpose – on more than one level.

[shareable cite=”@PastorTHall”]Unforgiveness. Everything it promises to you is exactly what it takes from you. It finds you full, but leaves you empty.[/shareable]

It’s Poison To Your Body

Unforgiveness has been proven to take such a toll on our immune system that they’ve actually started implementing something called “forgiveness therapy” in cancer patients because of it’s ability to place people at a disadvantage when fighting this deadly disease. It’s actually reported that 61% of cancer patients have forgiveness issues.

While not all sickness is caused by our sin, sin can indeed cause some sickness. King David knew all to well the physical consequences that sin can have on the body. He wrote in Psalm 38:

“…my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.”

So, is there somebody in your life that you need to forgive?

It’s Poison To Your Soul

Forgiveness is so paramount to our relationship with God that Jesus said,

“But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins..” ~ Matthew 6:15

We get free by receiving forgiveness, but we stay free by giving it.

[shareable cite=”@PastorTHall”]We get free by receiving forgiveness, but we stay free by giving it.[/shareable]

The bible also warns us of the consequences of unforgiveness in Hebrews:

“…watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” Hebrews 12:15 (NLT)

When unforgiveness is in the soil of your heart the only thing that can grow there are poisonous roots. Bitter roots – roots that choke the life out of everything good that’s growing both in and around you.

It chokes the life out of marriages, friendships, and family relationships. Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and wishing the other person would die.

It promises you protection, but becomes your prison. It traps you at the point of your pain keeping you from the pursuit of your God ordained purpose.

Forgiveness doesn’t release the other person from the responsibility of what they did to you, it releases YOU from what they did to you.

So – who do you need to forgive? Because in order to be free you have to let it go.

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