Monday, November 5, 2018

R.E.A.L. Women Devotional - The Gain of Losing the Weight of Unforgiveness

I've often heard that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. This past June, I realized I needed to lose some weight. Weight loss is hard for me as I know it's a mind thing. I asked the Lord how I should go about this. He showed me that the weight I was carrying was really caused by emotional eating and that I needed to find the root cause of my emotional eating. As I discovered, it was dealing with past hurts over my life. (And I'm talking way back in my life) Every time I face a hurt or challenge in life, food was my friend. It never left me nor forsook me, literally!

I began working on a mind-change and at the beginning of each week, I would ask the Holy Spirit to show me what I needed to work on. As I did this and dealt with the unforgiveness in my heart, the weight began to come off.

Since my dad passed, I've hit a wall and even though I am still exercising and eating better, it just doesn't seem to budge. Yesterday, as I was walking and praying, the Holy Spirit showed me something that I never realized. These past few months, some of the things that I thought I dealt with have seem to creep back in. I asked the Lord why am I still struggling in these areas if I have forgiven them? It was then the light turned on! He replies back to me in that gentle still small voice, "it's because you haven't blessed them." I can't begin to tell you how it all made sense to me. As I walked, I began to speak out loud, blessing those who I have grieved over. But even more importantly, I had to speak forgiveness and blessing over myself. I often disappoint myself by not doing what I know I should. It was amazing how the weight on my soul literally lifted. I could feel it and the freedom I felt was overwhelming! Proverbs 25:21 says "If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he’s thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you." (The Message)

Let me encourage you today, if you have any unforgiveness toward someone, in your heart, forgive them and then speak out loud blessing over them. You will be amazed at the freedom you will feel physically! Pray this prayer "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 I've discovered forgiveness and blessing go hand in hand in healing! AMEN!