Transparent Christian Magazine

I’ll never forget that September day in 1980. I had worked with the company for thirteen years, and now it had been sold. The new president and his colleague took me to lunch. They thanked me for my thirteen- year contribution and then announced that my salary would be cut in half “starting today”.

I was so angry with Joe, the new president of the company. The anger grew into bitterness, and the bitterness grew into hatred. That is why Paul said things like don’t let the sun go down on your anger. He also warned us not to sin in our anger. He also alerted us to not give the devil a foothold in our lives with anger.

I won’t go into the details of what I wanted to do to Joe. Several months later, I decided to go to a Gaither concert in Memphis, TN. The venue was a large auditorium with probably 15,000 people in attendance. I arrived late and made a decision to enter the concert hall through one of probably 10 entrances.

God has a sense of humor. As soon as I entered the auditorium, I looked to my immediate right, and there was Joe! Within five minutes, Bill Gaither says, “Before we sing this next song, turn to the person on your right and tell them that you love them!” NO BILL, let’s do the person on the left! Have you ever asked God, WHY? Why did Bill say “person to the right” and not “person to the left? Joe and I turned our faces away from each other.

Why had I chosen that entrance? How could Bill do this to me? After what seemed an eternity, I turned to Joe and said, “I love you and forgive you”. I’m still not sure what he said, but I can tell you that a gigantic weight came off my shoulders.

The lack of forgiveness is one of Satan’s favorite and most frequently used landmines! Bitterness, resentment, and anger will destroy you and is terrible for your health!  In addition to those problems, Jesus said that God would not forgive us if we do not forgive each other.

In other words, forgiveness is not an option but an obligation!  Who is on your “hit list”?

Jesus said to forgive them “seventy times seven”.
Mike Cowart Sr.

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Keep up with Mike on his new blog!