SAMANTHA ELLEY reflects on the impacts that follow when we choose not to forgive…
Northern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia
PICTURE: Liudmila Chernetska/iStockphoto
“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends” – Proverbs 17:9
I love gardening, although at times it feels like I am constantly pulling out weeds.
My favourite task is to water the garden. Sometimes in the hot, dry seasons I can almost hear the plants gulping the water down.
“The analogy of the kinky hose [shows] how unforgiveness can stop us from receiving and giving the blessings God wants to pour out on us.”
My biggest problem is our kinky hose, however.
Just when I’ve turned the tap on, aimed the hose at the garden, all that comes out is a little dribble of water, because somewhere along the length of the hose it has twisted and it stops the refreshing liquid from replenishing the plants.
Recently our church delved into the story of Joseph and how he forgave his brothers for selling him off into slavery, where he also managed to find himself in prison for a number of years.
Through God’s grace he eventually found himself as ruler, only second to Pharaoh, over all of Egypt and saved many lives by storing up grain for the oncoming drought he had dreamt about.
The analogy of the kinky hose was used in this study, showing how unforgiveness can stop us from receiving and giving the blessings God wants to pour out on us.
It caused love to prosper despite coming from a horrible situation.
If Joseph hadn’t forgiven his brothers, he may have never been able to save the thousands of people starving from the drought, as God wouldn’t have been able to bless him as He did.
Perhaps this is a spiritual law, that God can move so mightily, not just to forgive us of our sins, when we forgive others, but pour out blessings through us to help them to grow. Just like my thirsty plants.
Once the kink in the hose is removed, the water gushes out and my plants thrive, providing fresh vegetables for the table and beautiful flowers to adorn the garden.
Unfortunately, the weeds thrive too, but that may be for another analogy.
