Unforgiveness - The Great Advantage of Satan

II Corinthians 2:5-11 "But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

When someone does something wrong to us, why is it that we end up being the one who feels so rotten?  Why doesn't that other person feel like we do?  Why do they seem to go through life happy and carefree all the time?  It just makes us sick doesn't it? 

Paul understood something here in our scripture today.  He was teaching of the power and release of true forgiveness.  It is so easy to hold on to hurts.  It is even easy to pick up someone else's hurt.  Look at verse 5, "But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all."  This church was standing up for Paul against someone who had done him wrong.  It is as if they said, "Paul, if they have done you wr0ng, then they have done us wrong too."  Yet, Paul doesn't say, "thanks for sticking up for me and having my back." Rather, he instructs them to forgive them, comfort them, and love them.  He told them that he too forgave them.

We do have another option besides forgiveness.  You can always continue to harbor those feelings of resentment.  You can continue to reclaim your hurt and disappointment. You don't have to let them off the hook.  Hold onto your anger. You have every right to be mad. Go ahead blame them for all your problems, they are the cause of it anyway.  That's right, forgiveness is for the weak minded person anyway.  They deserve it.  Let them feel the pain of my not forgiving them.

Every reason listed above, is one that I have told myself time and time again.  There is only one problem with those - they are all lies of the devil.  Did you catch the last verse of our scripture?  "Lest Satan should get an advantage of US!"  Forgiveness is more about your own peace of mind than it is about the one you're forgiving.  We are not just releasing the offender from the hurt they may have caused, we are free ourselves from Satan gaining an advantage over US! 

Does Satan have an advantage over you? He doesn't have too.  Take back the advantage that you have given to him.  Forgive!  Set yourself free and forgive.  Release them from your resentment.  Grant them their freedom from your hatred - and set yourself free.  Forgive them.  Give up your claim to feel the way that you're feeling - forgive them.