Are You Choosing Anger or Choosing Forgiveness?

Jesus commands us: "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Then He adds: "If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15).

This is an incredibly dangerous prayer. If you harbor anger, if you choose not to forgive, you're literally saying to God: "I don't want you to forgive me either."

THE PROBLEM: WE'RE GETTING ANGRIER
Road rage is UP. Indiana ranks 3rd in the nation for fatal crashes from road rage. Shootings on roadways jumped from 9 in 2019 to 65 in 2021.
Anger at government: 70% of Americans are frustrated or angry (consistently since 2010).

Social media: "Rage bait" was Oxford's Word of the Year. Content designed to make you angry keeps you on the site longer. Studies show: more social media = more anger.

WHY WE'RE ANGRY: Fundamental Attribution Error
When YOU mess up: "Well, circumstances dictated..." When SOMEONE ELSE messes up: "That idiot! They're fundamentally flawed!"
We cut ourselves slack we're not willing to give others.

HOW TO FORGIVE:
Stop saying "I can't forgive" - That's a lie. You CHOOSE not to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice. So is anger.

Learn the difference between HURT and INJURY - Injury requires treatment. Hurt can be forgiven. Deal with injury appropriately, but recognize most offenses are hurt, not injury.

Forgiveness doesn't eliminate consequences - A thief can apologize, but legal consequences remain. Forgiveness doesn't erase effects.

Forgiveness benefits YOU, not them - If you choose anger, it consumes you. If you forgive, you're FREE from bondage to that offense.

Recognize how God has forgiven YOU - That slap on the cheek doesn't seem so big when you look at Jesus on the cross.

Choose to forgive DAILY - It's not one-time. Every day you can pick that offense back up. So every day, choose to forgive again.

BUT WAIT—Can We Rebuke AND Forgive?
Luke 17: "If another believer sins, rebuke that person. Then if there's repentance, forgive."

"Judge" has two meanings: (1) Come to a right decision, (2) Condemn. Jesus says don't CONDEMN. But DO judge (come to right decision). Rebuke the sin. Help them see what they did. Then FORGIVE.

BOTTOM LINE:
When something bad happens, DON'T choose anger. That's natural—but it's WRONG. When you choose anger, they get angrier, you get angrier, and it snowballs into a car-wrecking disaster.

Choose forgiveness. It's unnatural. It must be learned. But it sets YOU free.

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