"You're Hanging Yourself"

"So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.: Esther 7:10

When a person has jealousy, anger, bitterness or unforgiveness toward another person, they wind up building a "gallows" toward that person. A gallows was not only used for execution by hanging, it was also a means of torture before execution. When we have these "oughts" toward another person, we think that we are "torturing" them. Yes, your feelings toward that person do have an effect on them, but they aren't the ones that you hurt the worse.

 

Haman built a gallows to hang Mordecai in, but instead he was the one who was hung in it. Having something against another person does hurt and bind that person in a sense, but it hurts us more. Eventually, we will be the ones who are "hung" by it. How so? For one, the most important one, it will hinder your relationship with the Heavenly Father. It will open a door to the enemy to come into your life. It will harden your heart. It will begin to steal your joy and peace. It will bring you under condemnation. It will delight your adversary the devil. We wind up hard-hearted. We are actually torturing ourselves.

 

The nature of Christ is love. If Christ is in us, so is His love. Love and unforgiveness have no room to coexist together. Love and bitterness, anger, malice, jealousy can't ever be "roommates". You can't say you love God and hate your brother, or your neighbor. You can't receive the forgiveness of God and refuse to forgive others-- even those who trespass against you. 

 

If you are holding onto unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, jealousy, etc, (any ought) toward another person-- whether it be founded or not--you must repent and release that person from your feelings toward them. But more importantly you will be releasing yourself before you wind up being hung in your "own gallows".

 

Have a great day. If you have ought, in any form-- unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc.-- against anyone. Repent of it, or you will be hung in the gallows of ought that you have built.

 

For further reading:

1 John 4:20

Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35