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Find Release through Forgiveness
By Jessica Van Roekel "If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."- 1John 1:9,ESV Have you ever counted the cost of holding onto a grudge? Bitterness and resentment are deadly. I know because I've allowed these two rascals to cause much mischief in my life. Bitterness becomes a mason and builds thick walls between me and another person. This wall pretends to protect my heart, but in reality, it prevents new relationships with other people to form. Pretty soon, I'm trapped. Resentment becomes a general who unfurls his battle plan with elaborate ways to attack and conquer. This plan ends with more hurt because anger makes me impossible to be around, which leads to more isolation. Bitterness and resentment work together to divide us from the people around us and prevent us from coming to God for the help we need. I'll never forget when my friend kicked me out of her life and the pain it brought. It also brought a whole host of other emotions like anger and revenge. Bitterness and resentment played on these feelings like two impish rascals who found a new playground. The more they played, the more I struggled. Not only did I need to forgive my friend, but now I needed forgiveness for my heart's attitude toward her. | 
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