Skip to main content

“You cannot give total love when your heart is divided.”

A thought by Rick Warren from his book. God's Power to Change Your Life (Living with Purpose) (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

And for so many their love is divided.

Rick says, “And a bitter heart is a divided heart."  Maybe that is you.

Rick goes on, “You may be thinking, ‘I can’t love my spouse. He is a wonderful person, but I just can’t love him.’ You are probably still reacting to your past and harboring resentment against someone. That is what is keeping you from loving your spouse. And that is not fair to your spouse.

“Many people have a just cause for their anger. For example, I heard a news report on the radio that one out of every three women and one out of every seven men will be abused during their lifetime. But we have to let go of the past to get on with the present. To begin loving people today, we must close the door on the past. And that cannot happen without forgiveness! Forgive those who have hurt you — for your sake, not because they deserve it. Do it so your heart can be whole again. The people from your past cannot continue to hurt you today unless you allow them to hurt you by holding on to resentment against them.”

Rick then says, “Anytime you resent someone, you give that person a piece of your heart, a piece of your attention, a piece of your mind. Do you want that person to have that? No. So take it back by forgiving. Forgive those who hurt you. Instead of rehearsing that hurt over and over, release it.”

That would be a great gift to give to yourself and those around you.  That may be the best gift you could give to your family.  Maybe you are holding on to some hurt from your past. Maybe a parent, an old friend, maybe a teacher, a relative or maybe a preacher really hurt you or abused you and you keep rehearsing it over and over.  Why not release them from the hold over you by forgiving them.  Will you do that today?  Will you right now through God’s help do that right now?  Will you forgive them?


Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

“The gospel is good news, not good advice.”

A thought by Timothy Keller (2016-10-25) from his book, Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ (p. 21). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I’m glad you stopped to catch a glimpse of what this thought really means. Tim says, “Advice is counsel about what you must do. News is a report about what has already been done. Advice urges you to make something happen. News urges you to recognize something that has already happened and to respond to it. Advice says it is all up to you to act. News says someone else has acted.” He then gives an illustration, “Let’s say there is an invading army coming toward a town. What that town needs is military advisers; it needs advice. Someone should explain that the earthworks and trenches should go over there, the marksmen go up there, and the tanks must go down there.”   That’s advice He goes on, “However, if a great king has intercepted and ...
Post a Comment
Read more