When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. – Ephesians 1:13

The Holy Spirit’s best work in people is seen in how He changes the way they relate to one another. You want the best parts of your character displayed in your kids. When your positive qualities, ways, words, action, and encouragement are reproduced in your child’s interactions with others, that bring you joy. However your opposite qualities brings you grief.

In the Holy Spirit’s framework it is inconsistant for the grace receiving sinner to become an anger driven destroyer. Only a man who has forgotten his own encounter with God’s grace could deny it intentionally to someone else.  No believer can claim a close relationship with the Holy Spirit while acting out of anger, bitterness, and resentment toward someone else. One cannot be a party to the other. Only a spiritual con man whose had a mountain of dept forgiven by God would try to squeeze emotional nickels out of another through a lack of forgiveness.

His point being in the parable of the wicked unforgiving servant(see Matthew 18:21-35): You didn’t deserve grace, but now that you have it, you better give it as liberally as you received it! If we don’t, the same thing grieves the Holy Spirit. All of us, by honestly and sincerely saying a prayer, can restore spiritual balance in this area. This prayer acknowledges that, in spite of our best intentions, pray this prayer as a simple realignment or if a relationship is challenging you in the area of forgiveness.

Father, Help me to understand that forgiveness is not a feeling. It’s a decision. The feelings will come.

Now go out and have an EPIC day today