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I was reading the story of the first Christian martyr last night and something just jumped out at me.  In Acts 7:54 it says, "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. "  They knew he was right and instead of it leading them to repentance, it lead to Stephen's murder.  

Isn't that typical of humanity?  When we are confronted with our wrong-doing, we react in anger instead of contrition.  Even if we are not being directly confronted, any comment that convicts us, pricks our conscience, will send us into a defensive frenzy, lashing out at the messenger.  Our hearts become hard.  We should

In Sunday School the class has been studying forgiveness.  When we hold onto the hurt, the anger, the bitterness, it eats us up inside.  We need to learn to forgive others and ourselves.  When we can do that, we lay down a huge burden and can reclaim our lives.  Forgiveness means laying aside those burdens of hate, anger, hurt and bitterness that we have stored up in our hearts and minds.  It does not mean there is a restoration of trust in the person who hurt us, just that we have put aside the anger and hurt.  

Sometimes I have to do this over and over because the temptation is to pick it back up again and let the anger burn for a little bit longer and the hurt dig a little deeper.  Sometimes a person will hurt you over and over, so I have to forgive them over and over.  Either way, I have to let that baggage go before it ways my spirit down so far I cannot move for the despair.  Sometimes I feel like the father in Mark 9:24 who said, "I believe, Lord help my unbelief."  Only in my version it is "I forgive, Lord help me to forgive."