And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. But if you don’t forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.
Mark 11:35 HCSB
Unforgiveness may seem like an unlikely topic for Thanksgiving. We have probably heard several sermons this week about gratitude and thanking God for all we have. We should thank God for everything in all circumstances (2 Thessalonians 1:3). We should be grateful, most of all, for His Son who died on the cross. We should thank Him for His unconditional love and for His mercy and grace. We should thank Him for the fact that He forgives us when we mess up.
But, there’s always a but isn’t there, He expects us to forgive others just as he forgives us. Don’t just take my word for it. You can check it out in Romans 12:17-21, Matthew 6:14-15, Ephesians 4:31-32, Leviticus 19:18, or Colossians 3:13. There’s more, but I think I’ve proven my point here.
My friend, the bottom line here is that we are commanded to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. Our Scripture passage tells us to clear our hearts of bitterness and unforgiveness when we are praying to God. If you are having a hard time forgiving someone, pray for God to help you with that. Ask Him to remove any bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart against someone. Pray for that person. We are told to leave vengeance to God in Romans 12:19. We are told to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in Matthew 5:44.
Today should be a day of Thanksgiving. We should be singing praises to our Lord for all that He has provided for us. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Even if things are going as we would like, we can thank God for His presence in difficult times. Let go of any bitterness and unforgiveness, it’s just not worth it. Pray for those you may consider to be your enemies and thank God for being our protector and avenger and trust Him to take care of you.
My prayer for you today is that all is well with you and yours. But if it’s not, you can turn to Him. You can trust Him to take good care of you if you will only surrender to Him. Often times, the various get-togethers with friends and family may bring up old memories that are accompanied with bitterness and unforgiveness. Let those go and give them over to God and enjoy this season. Remember the true reason for today which is to express our gratitude. In just a few weeks, we will celebrate Christ’s birth which is the ultimate reason to give thanks. Don’t let bitterness and unforgiveness ruin it for you. Give it all over to Him.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!