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  Jesus
told a story of a master who canceled a huge debt for
one of his servants. That servant, however, refused to forgive others
for much smaller debts. How did the master respond? He
called his servant into his office. He told him he was a wicked
man, then turned him over to the authorities to be tortured.
Yes, tortured. After Jesus
told this story, he uttered a frightening
sentence: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you
unless you forgive your brother from your heart" [Matthew 18:23-35]. When I refuse
to release the wrongs that have been done against me, I am leading
myself into a torture chamber. When I would not forgive
my friend, it wasn't he who was suffering. I chose not to forgive,
and so my heavenly Father let my soul bear the natural consequences.
For many months I experienced the torturing of my
own pathetic soul. The day I forgave him, heavy chains fell off of
my heart. I ran out of that torture chamber as a free man.
Ask God to show you anything at all in your life that is
weighing you down, suffocating your freedom, or hindering you
from rising into the purposes and plans God has laid out for you.
Perhaps God will give you a new perspective on your material possessions.
Perhaps there is bitterness in your heart against
another person, and God is calling you to release your long-held
anger. Perhaps you find yourself hiding behind a false identity,
and the burden of the mask you wear is weighing down the
freedom of your soul... Wherever you find yourself, know that God
is calling you to scale mountains and run in wide-open spaces.
Root yourself in Christ, allowing him to breathe his life into you
and set you free from cravings that lead only to static living and
emptiness. Take a step forward with your new, light feet.
-A Certain Risk: Living Your Faith at the Edge (eBook) by Paul Richardson
A Friendly Dare: Search yourself for any long-held anger.
Then release the person you're angry with; you'll also
release yourself. Join the discussion on Facebook
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