And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

Luke 11:4

One of the seemingly magic steps in the Christian life is in the area of forgiveness.  Depressions lift when the bricks of unforgiveness are thrown out of the “grudge backpacks” we all seem to carry  around.

Two of the questions we  often ask are “Whom are you blaming?” and “Toward  whom are you feeling bitter?”  Blaming others or ourselves for our unhappiness puts us in a paralyzing  position.  We must see blame as a form of unforgiveness.  Let’s determine to throw away the  “blame bricks”  from our grudge backpack.

Bitterness is another load of bricks many of us carry.  Do we keep score and hold onto our hurts?  If we do, we’re holding onto bitterness.  The weight of  “bitterness bricks” certainly keeps many  of us slowed down  on our  life journey toward love, joy and peace.  We can choose today to throw away the bricks of blaming and bitterness through forgiveness for ourselves and others.

Prayer:  Lord help me to remember that  I can only release bitterness and blame through continual, daily  “emptying my  backpack”.