Spring is the time when many people deep clean their homes, unload unwanted junk, pull out the lawn furniture and spruce up the landscaping. It's also a great time to do a spring-cleaning of our spirit, especially pulling the weeds of unforgiveness and resentment. We continue to beat ourselves up for past mistakes, living as a prisoner to fear and old outdated thoughts.
I'm often amazed at the kind of garbage we humans choose to willingly drag around with us in the form of painful memories, resentments, fears, and other types of mental and spiritual debris from the past that WE REFUSE to release. WE REFUSE to let go of the slights and unfairness of a situation with our families, friends, at work, church, or some other group we're a part of. Think about it friends;
WE CHOOSE to hold onto these thoughts and feelings, WE REFUSE to let them go!
The costs of our unwillingness to let go are huge. On one level what we focus on tends to expand. So if we have something from the past that we have refused to let go of, we tend to recreate similar experiences for ourselves under the guise of “comfortable pain.” We begin to focus on it intently and it dominates our thoughts, behaviors, and actions. This brings more misery upon ourselves. We stunt our spiritual growth and healing does not happen.
On a more rational level, why let someone or something from our past (whoever / whatever it is) continue to hurt us and potentially rob us of an extraordinary present and future? Remember, that which we hold onto, whether it be a hurt, resentment, fear, unforgiveness, and or pain is actually holding onto us...keeping us stuck in a never ending cycle of pain and misunderstanding. This thing that we are choosing to hold onto blocks the sunlight of the Spirit from reaching us. The weeds of fear and negativity continue to grow and influence out heart and our thoughts. There have been studies—enough to fill volumes—on the health risks of unforgiveness: ulcers, heart problems, alcoholism, (your vice of choice here-ism), eating disorders and more...almost any physical ailment has the potential of being rooted in an unforgiving spirit. Dr. Paul said it best on page 449! “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.”
I would like to encourage you to do a thorough inventory of your spirit. Much like when we go through our closets at the beginning of a new season, weed out that which no longer fits. I would be glad to help! Please let me know!
Closing with one of my heroes! Dr. Paul
“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.” Big Book pg 449 or 417
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