This week on Better Together, Priscilla Shirer discusses why Jesus served. Join the conversation as Laurie Crouch, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Victoria Osteen, and Elaine Fisher join Priscilla Shirer to discuss the forgiveness Jesus modeled on the Cross.

when you continue to walk in that

forgiveness what it does for you but

also what it does for them is what i

think that the apostle paul was getting

at

forgive but extend an act of comfort or

kindness to that person and i think that

helps us to get through the layers

and to the depths of making sure we’re

actually forgiving that person and

walking in it in a practical way

we’re going to have to be

empowered by the holy spirit to forgive

like that to live like that to walk in

compassion when people are

wronging us or have wronged us or

offended us

i heard someone say

you’ve probably heard this before

that unforgiveness is like drinking

poison and wanting it to kill the other

person

but you’re consuming that over and over

and over again and so that idea that

you know if you knew that you were

taking in something that was poisonous

in a physical sense and it was what was

keeping you toxic and not feeling well

and not able to function in all areas of

your life well physically well we would

stop taking that substance

but if we know that unforgiveness is

what is doing that spiritually we’re

less willing

to put down that cup and stop drinking

that unforgiveness

um but it is toxic to us and it’s toxic

in a spiritual sense and it’s toxic in a

physical sense i mean people’s actual

physical bodies are breaking down

under the weight of carrying

unforgiveness throughout throughout

their lives and so i think this is an

important conversation

um

i wish i was just looking on my phone

for a second to try to find the exact

verse

but the apostle paul talks about

forgiveness and this beautiful verse he

says forgive

and

extend kindness

to the person that you’ve forgiven

basically it’s almost like we’re dealing

with the layers of forgiveness as you

mentioned crystal it’s almost like he’s

saying what will help you

and the other person

is not only if you just say you forgive

which is important believe have faith

that you are forgiving this person but

also

walking in that actual forgiveness by

extending an intentional act of kindness

whether it is just a smile across the

you know you see them somewhere and you

smile at them or a text to say happy

birthday on their birthday or you take

that meal when they’re sick and

something’s going on

what that does for you and continuing to

solidify the work of forgiveness in you

and also what it does for them and maybe

getting them off of that walking on

eggshells and pins and needles wondering

whether or not they’ve been forgiven

or even cracking down

or chiseling away at the hardness of

heart of that person maybe that has not

said they’re sorry

but maybe it chisels away a little bit

when you continue to walk in that

forgiveness what it does for you but

also what it does for them is what i

think that the apostle paul was getting

at

forgive but extend an act of comfort or

kindness to that person and i think that

helps us to get through the layers

and to the depths of making sure we’re

actually forgiving that person and

walking in it in a practical way you

know when you just said it’s like

drinking poison and expecting it to kill

the other person i was just thinking

why would i be drinking poison

yeah

like yeah why

and i think there’s a variety of reasons

one is that you don’t realize that it’s

poison but

i was thinking

it made me think about you know

people say all the time about how you

you are what you eat and you know if you

know this stuff isn’t good for you why

do you eat it

well sometimes

it tastes good exactly exactly

but if you’ve ever had something

for the first time that maybe initially

isn’t your favorite

and then you keep eating it after a

while you get used to it

i think unforgiveness after a while

tastes good yeah

i would like you actually can become

used to

comfortable with

the feeling of

i’m not giving you what you need

especially if you talk about it

yeah and so i’m thinking about the

person who’s listening to you and as

we’re talking they’re like that’s cute

you know like

i’m because you start to feel

the power of the holy spirit as he’s

moving and you start to feel that

conviction and i’ve seen women do it

i’ve seen him go

oh my god but i’m not calling her you

know i mean you can see the reaction and

i’ve seen this in my own life where

there was something that’s so hard or

forgiveness is so what i don’t want to

do

that i’m willing to sit with

the thing that’s not good for me

because it’s hard to go on a diet yeah

well also you may have to change your

friend group because you have to change

the negative thing that you you have to

make the changes right you have to make

those changes and so you know i’m just

thinking about the person who’s watching

and we we said that but i just want to

underscore that poison just because you

don’t feel like it’s killing you

doesn’t mean that it’s not having an

adverse reaction yeah in your own heart

and mind forgiveness if you know that

there’s someone that you haven’t

forgiven if there’s i’m sitting here

going okay let me let me like you know

what do i want to get out of my system

that is not good for me

because i am not actively thinking how

can i forgive and how can i show

kindness

proverbs 17 9 it says he who covers and

forgives an offense

seeks love

how many times do we want to seek being

right right

more than we want to seek

love right you know because that’s what

it’s all about i’m right that was wrong

you shouldn’t have done that to me i’m

nurturing this

yeah you know i’m sitting with this like

you’re talking about because i’m right

and and and you know we want

we should want what’s right

in the eyes of god more than we want to

be right because even if we are right

we’re wrong

when it comes to god if we’re not

seeking forgiveness and seeking love

right so it’s like you said you know

it’s just you can sit with it but it’s

are you seeking

what god wants right are you seeking

love are you seeking just to be proven

right

well and i think an act of kindness can

also be a prayer because there are some

people that you can’t reconcile or you

can’t do an act of kindness and go and

maybe it’s someone of the opposite

gender and you’re like i can’t go bring

them a meal that will totally ruin

everything we just did we broke up or

whatever you know like inappropriate at

that point you know

don’t

forgiveness for how you treated me so

here’s a meal no that’s terrible and so

but maybe an act of kindness is praying

for them yeah and if your prayers are

god i pray he you know gets a wreck or

whatever that’s not a good prayer that’s

not kindness but your prayer may be god

i pray the best over him and when you

can get to that point then you know

something’s changed in your heart

because you’re not praying god to bring

justice you’re praying god to bring love

and restoration to them it doesn’t mean

reconciliation and so i do think that an

act of kindness needs to be acknowledged

of it may be praying it may be how you

talk about them like you may that you

don’t talk about right yes you stop and

so i just think we have to clarify too

because it can’t be a meal with the ex

you know like please stay away at that

point you know but whatever it is just

it’s kindness of your heart it’s that

the heart of it to go you know what god

i want to be pure before you i want to

show them love and what i say what i

don’t say and how i respond and what i

don’t do and how i pray for them and

believe for them the best is yet to come

in their life you know

it’s a matter of the heart because the

bible says pray for those

you know

who persecute you pray for those who

have ought against you pray for those

and i mean i i have experienced this

myself i would pray and i would thank

god

you know i don’t feel like i mean this

but i’m gonna keep doing it yeah until

you change my heart i’m gonna do it in

obedience

to you not because i’m so good but only

in obedience and as you pray in

obedience god can change your heart

i hope you enjoyed this video subscribe

today and you’ll never miss a new upload

and don’t forget to check out our better

together shop thanks for being a part of

our community