Most people will agree that being ourselves is the path that leads to a meaningful life. But we cannot be ourselves if there is resentment in our lives. Resentment blocks now meaningful relationships. In acts is a wall between men and men between men and God.

Because resentment is so destructive in peoples lives, it is being called a "cancer of the soul." It not only limits our effectiveness in life, but it becomes a temptation to those around us because the natural response to resentment is resentment. If others resent us, we feel rejected-and that makes us want to resent an reject them.

Some of us have been rejected (or thought we have) since early childhood. This causes anger and fear. We then say things and do things that we would never say or do if we did not have this cancer in our soul. It is so easy to resent what others say or do and just reject them. We feel we have some kind of right to resent and reject those around us simply because we have been hurt by someone who, probably, had previously been hurt by someone else. It goes on and on, with each person responding to the others resentment until someone decides to forgive. The irony is that when we are resentful, we hurt ourselves most of all! We always reap what we sow!

There is a spiritual law as binding as the law gravity. It is the law of sowing and reaping. Jesus said, " If you forgive people their trespasses, that is their reckless and willful sin, leaving them, letting them go and giving up resentment, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14 Amplified Bible.)

In all of life we reap what we sow. If we resent and reject, we are not even capable of accepting forgiveness from God or our loved ones. If we forgive, we are forgiven by both God and men. If we forgive, we are also able to accept forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a definite conscious act of the will. You say you have already forgiven? If that is true, your forgiveness came out of a heartfelt desire to forgive. We must want to forgive or else did does not happen. We Can Know We Have Forgiven Others When We Have a Compassion for Them As Unfortunate Victims of Their Own Resentment-the Thing That caused Them to Say or Do the Thing That Was so Offensive to Us. Probably they have learned resentment from someone else and are now unwittingly teaching it to others. That's right-resentment is learned and spreads like cancer in the bloodstream. Also like cancer, it takes many forms and maybe difficult to recognize.

We cannot really search and know our hearts, but God can. If we ask God to show us our resentment and unforgiveness, He will. If we confess these sins and ask forgiveness, God will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) But that is not enough. We have to stop sinning. We cannot really be free to be ourselves until we stop the critical attitude that is unforgiveness. We cannot be freed to be ourselves until our heart attitude says, "I forgive you."

We can never be free to be ourselves if our personal relationships are warped and broken by resentment, rejection and unforgiveness. The key to successful living, therefore, is being forgiven. If we don't receive forgiveness for our transgressions, we remained guilty. "Whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your father who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions." (Mark 11:25)

If we react with understanding and forgiveness, we see the power of God enter in and attitudes change. Then the situation changes and Godly character prevails. If we want God to be active in our lives, we must take down the wall of resentment and break free to be ourselves.

The Bible says, "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32) When we experience the reality of God's forgiveness, knowing that through the death of Jesus we find ourselves truly forgiven before God, then we can offer forgiveness to others on a consistent basis.

You see, forgiveness is something that is required of us by loving God that knows that we cannot be the person he created us to be unless we are willing and even anxious to forgive. We must have a forgiving attitude and a desire to love people by forgiving them. Jesus said the greatest of all the commandments is to love God, love our neighbor, love ourselves. Giving and receiving forgiveness is the key that sets us free to fulfill the great commandment and to be what God wants us to be.

Jesus said, "you must be born again." The forgiveness of our sins that comes when we believe and accept Jesus' death as the payment for our sin is truly amazing. We receive new life in Christ. We are born again to spiritual life-the life of God. "To all who received him, who believed on His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)

If you have not been born again by repenting of your sin and receiving Jesus in your heart and life, I pray that you will do so now. The life he gives is free and the power of that life will make you like all truly born again Christians who forgive. You will be Free to Be Me.