Christian Reflection and Prayer

How You Can Make a Fresh Start
Whitney Hopler

Do you feel stuck?  Maybe you don't
like the way your life has been going
lately, but can't seem to change it.
No matter how stuck you may have
become, you can move forward with
God's help.  Here's how you can make
a fresh start to change your life for the better:

#7. Find freedom from hurt.  If you don't
forgive the people who hurt you, their offenses
will come back to haunt you over and over
again and you'll be stuck in bitterness.  But
if you obey God's call to forgive others since
He has forgiven you, you can break free of
bitterness and move on well with your life. 
So write down what you think the person
who hurt you owes you (an apology, an
explanation, a marriage that was destroyed,
money that was stolen, a life that was taken, etc.). 
Then cancel the debt, writing "Paid in full"
across your list.  Canceling the debt means
that you decide not to: hold the action against
the offending person, raise it back up with the
person, or use it against the person anymore.
Choose to follow God's command to
forgive despite your feelings.  If you make
a faithful decision, God will gradually change
your feelings. You'll find that after you make
the decision to forgive, God will start the
healing process until you finally come to
the point where you can remember the
hurtful situation or encounter the person
who hurt you without having the poison
of bitterness rise up within your soul.

#8. Use conflicts to discover adventure.
If you've been struggling with a conflict
that has left you stuck in stress without
a resolution, realize that God can use that
conflict to transform you in ways that will
lead to great adventures in your life.  Conflict
can be a powerful catalyst for God to reveal
more about Himself to you and cause new
growth to happen in your life.  Choose to do
what's right - not what's easy - when dealing
with conflict.  Seek peace by confronting the
people with whom you're in conflict, apologizing
for your part in the conflict, and forgiving those
who have hurt or offended you through the
conflict.  As you make every effort to live resolve
conflicts so you can live in peace, you'll grow into
a stronger person and bring glory to God in the
adventurous process.

{Adapted from Fresh Start: God's Invitation to
a Great Life copyright 2009 by Doug Fields.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers,
Nashville, Tn., www.thomasnelson.com.
Article publication date: August 20, 2009