I John 2:9-11 “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

Is it possible to think we are living and walking the Christian life and be blinded to the fact that we have unforgiveness still in our hearts? Absolutely. Sometimes the hurt is so deep it is locked away in a place we don’t see or think about. Sometimes the unforgiveness happened so long ago we have either forgotten it or no longer consider it worthy of note since it is not an active part of our lives today. In either case, they are just as detrimental to our Christian walk as those ‘obvious’ sins that we so easily and readily bring before the Father and ask forgiveness for. When we allow anger or hatred to take root in our hearts, the seeds of unforgiveness will choke out our ability to be fruitful in our Christian walk. Just because we are not actively involved in hating does not mean we are free from it. Sometimes we are blind to it. Walking in darkness is dangerous. Ask God to reveal any unforgiveness or hard-heartedness still lurking in your heart or mind. The time is now to let it go and step back into the light.

Pray: “Lord God, I know there were times when the “old me” would harbor unforgiveness and perhaps even hatred toward someone who hurt me or wronged me. While I have learned the importance of forgiving, I know it is possible that old feelings could still be poisoning my heart and somehow blinding me in my efforts to follow you. Reveal anything hidden, Father, that I may forgive and let it go. And if I am not yet able to do so, help me, I pray, to grow quickly into the forgiving person you expect me to be. In your Son’s most holy name I pray - Amen”