Unforgiveness: A Hindrance To Your Harvest

“I desire mercy not sacrifice.”
“If you don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive you.”
“You are delaying your own success and blessings.”
“You can’t fully do the will of God with an unforgiving heart.“

These are some of the things the Holy Spirit would tell me over the time in 2022.

I like to think that I forgave people when I spoke it with my mouth, but deep in my heart, that unforgiveness was still there.

How did I know?

Because I wouldn’t wish them well. Because I would often bring up the things they have said or done that hurt me. Because every time I would see their face, I would think of the past, yesterday’s hurt.

But the Word of God says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”. ^{Lamentations 3: 22-23 ESV}

God is a Father who loves, cares and show compassion and grace daily, so why is it so hard to do likewise?

I would ask Him, “God how many times am I supposed to forgive them? Do I need to forgive every time they offend or hurt me?

And every time, He would answer through Scripture. “Forgive them seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). He would often remind me that the forgiveness was more so for me than them and that I cannot fully and effectively do His will with an unforgiving heart.

Unforgiving isn’t love. Therefore you cannot love God because God is love. Forgiving is healing. When you choose to let go of what someone has said or done to you that was wrong, you start healing from the inside out. Then you will receive love, joy and peace.

I’ve learned that forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you should be a doormat and let the wrongdoing continue. It’s okay to stand up for yourself and it’s okay to end relationships that mean you know good. Also, forgiving doesn’t mean that you will automatically forget how they made you feel.

But when you forgive, you let go of pain, resentment, insecurity, bitterness, health issues, anxiety, depression etc. just to name a few that the spirit of unforgiveness causes.

I do want to remind you, this includes forgiving yourself for your own mistakes and sins. There are times when Jesus has already forgiven you when you ask, but you don’t forgive you. That guilt and self condemnation is very heavy…but it is not too heavy for Jesus.

When you choose not to forgive, you are choosing to hinder blessings in your life. What are some of those blessings? Keep reading!

Healing

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. – Luke 6:37

I want to share a small testimony of mine. I was sitting on the couch one day trying to read my Bible, but I had this very bad headache that wouldn’t let up no matter how much medicine I took.

During the time, I was really upset with someone. To be honest, I was downright angry and bothered for days with a headache and sore throat. I was able to tame my sore throat, but the headache was on another level.

Fast forward a few days later as I was sitting on my couch, still with this bad headache, God spoke to me clear as day. The words were indeed my voice and in first person, but I knew it was nobody but God. What I heard in my mind was….

“If I forgive then I’ll be healed“.

I immediately received a strong conviction and fell to the feet of Jesus and asked for forgiveness for having a hard heart against this person and I completely let the offense go.

Within minutes, the headache was gone and I felt like a completely new person.

That is when I knew the healing power of forgiveness.

^{Please note: There are different types of healing. This small testimony was regarding physical healing. Some people may need emotional, mental, physical or spiritual healing. Forgiveness can be connected to all four.}

Prayer

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” – Isaiah 59:2

Unforgiveness is a disobedient act towards God. He will not answer prayers to a defiant heart.

We can pray. We can have faith. But we cannot receive our blessings when our hearts are closed from God.

When we want forgiveness from God for our daily transgressions, we must forgive others for their transgressions. He won’t forgive us if we won’t forgive others.

Freedom

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.” – Psalm 118:5

Forgiveness is a liberating feeling because it frees you from the bondage of people and what has hurt you. It also frees you from yourself if you are living in guilt of something you have done or said in the past.

A Personal Experience

There was a time that I had gained insecurity at a job because of offenses that was said and done towards me. That insecurity in turn brought on bitterness and resentment. All of those things together took a toll on my mental health and what grew inside my heart was not the love of Jesus.

I prayed and prayed about it. Then I started asking God to help me see them as He sees them.

Then one day, I realized that hurt people hurt people and they clearly weren’t happy in their lives if they made it a priority to intentionally hurt other people. That is when I started having compassion and would pray for them instead.

Again, I am not telling you to be a doormat and let others walk over you. I am telling you to not let other people have power over you and dictate your future when you can be free in Jesus and live the life He died to give you. Yes, stand up for yourself and set boundaries if you have to, but do not let hate grow in your heart. It’s not a good feeling and only hurts you as each day goes on.

Unforgiveness will hold your mind, body and spirit captive. Jesus can set you free.

Tip: What helped me during this time was knowing who I was and still am in Christ. Knowing that He loves me and treasures me. Knowing that I am who God says I am. Not who they say I am.

Love

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen”. – 1 John 4:20

When we choose not to forgive, we choose not to love. When we choose not to love, we choose not to obey. When we choose not to obey, we are choosing not to follow Christ.

Jesus Christ had every reason to be offended. People mocked Him, told lies about Him, beat Him persecuted and crucified Him. And to despite all, He still had a heart to love and have mercy on us all. He came to save the world through love.

Unforgiveness in a believer’s heart is doing the opposite of what Jesus came to do.

Forgiving is not always easy, but it is always necessary.

Harvest

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” – Matthew 9:37

This the one for me.

God has created me, called me and chosen me. Yet in order to effectively complete the assignment and fulfill the mission before me, it has to be done from a heart of love because God first loved me.

The harvest that Jesus is speaking of in the above Scripture, is the many souls that are lost without Him. Our mission is to bring them to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, but it must come from a foundation of love.

Therefore, I had to let go.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:10 -12

Thank you for reading,

Monique ST

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Forgiveness is an ongoing process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but if your heart is willing to let go of the burden and forgive then Jesus will be willing to set you free.

If any of you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. you can do so now. He came to save humanity and reconcile us back to God. One day, we will be in our heavenly homes. But we must follow the example of Christ while we are here temporarily.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”. – Romans 10: 9-10