They Don’t Deserve My Forgiveness - Encouragement for Today - June 6, 2019

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- June 6, 2019 They Don’t Deserve My Forgiveness [TRACIE MILES]( [ Listen to this devotion]( “Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’” [Matthew 18:21-22]( (NLT) Every day was full of conflicts and challenges. I constantly endured attacks on my integrity, and sometimes my child was victimized as well. My heart was heavy. My mind tired. My spirit crushed. I felt insecure and unaccepted — and justifiably unforgiving. Many years ago, when one of my daughters was in middle school, I stepped into a volunteer role at her school. I was excited to have an opportunity to pour into the lives of young girls, but that meant interacting with difficult people who seemed to go out of their way to be mean. As the months dragged by, I stood by my commitment to serve, do my best and be kind, yet I was slowly becoming more upset and resentful at how I was being treated. Bitterness grew, stealing the peace from my heart and robbing me of joy. Then one day, a displeased parent (whose child had been addressed due to a behavioral issue) approached me after practice — fuming with hostility and appearing to be on the verge of physically attacking me. I remained calm, but to keep the confrontation from escalating further, I finally turned and walked toward my car while she continued yelling. I somehow managed to keep from crying until I got home, but then emotions that churned for months erupted like lava from an exploding volcano. I’m the first to admit the absolute ridiculousness of this situation. Yet, I also know this story might sound all too familiar to you. Whether it’s in a schoolroom, soccer field, workplace, neighborhood or even church … power plays, unfairness, cruelty, politics, popularity contests, adult cliques and women pitting women against one another happen far too often. When other people hurt us, especially when it’s intentional, it can cause us to become bitter and angry, making it hard to find the willpower or desire to forgive. It’s easy for resentment to take root. I didn’t want to forgive these women. They didn’t deserve it. They hadn’t asked for it and I suspected they might never ask for it. In today’s key verses, Peter posed a question to Jesus about the act of forgiving, “‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’” ([Matthew 18:21]( [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](