Forgiveness and Empowerment

I managed to stay up a little later last nite, thanks to a nap I took early in the evening. I watched a group of pastors on TBN that were discussing forgiveness and empowerment. It was really informative. I don't remember all their names, but the message they put out was awesome! In the first half of the program the discussion revolved around forgiveness and the importance of forgiving those who have hurt us. Many people are bogged down with resentment and hurt feelings from things in their past. God forgives us and if we are to have peace within our hearts we must forgive others. I don't think their is anyone who cannot say that they have not been hurt by another person sometime in their lives. We often carry that hurt with us until it becomes so much a part of us that we are overcome by it. We don't have to. God says, "As you are forgiven, forgive." Often, we find this hard, especially when the hurt is fresh and anger rules our emotions, but think about what Christ went through when he was here and all the pain and rejection he suffered. Surely, if he could forgive those who crusified him, we can forgive a friend or relative who wronged us in some way. Healing comes with forgiveness. If you are carrying around the baggage of resentment and are unforgiving of someone who hurt you, today or way in your past---start by forgiving them today.
The second part of the program revolved around Empowerment. This is a word that may take some explaining as it isn't used all that often. To be empowered is "to promote the self-actualization or influence of". This is from Webster's, folks! I looked it up cause I wanted to give an accurate definition. To be empowered in a spiritual sence would mean to have the same power that Jesus had when he was here on earth. Well, some would say that's impossible, no-one could do what Jesus did because he was The Son of God and all powerful.........but the reality is that if we are Christians, we are sons and daughters of the Living God and The Holy Spirit empowers us to be like Him. Here is where believing comes in! We must believe and act upon our belief to be empowered. Everything they talked about on this program was so in sync with what our pastor has been telling us. One of the pastors has even wrote a book entitled "Empowerment". The whole message simply came down to one simple statement; if Jesus is in us ( and, if you are a Christian, He does live in you!) then you are empowered to do the same things he did.............all we need to do is actualize the power, claim it! As the song says : If we are the Body, why aren't our hands reaching, why aren't our hearts teaching...........I hope those are the right lyrics(close, anyway). I think I've made my point clear here, even though I often find it hard to verbalize my thoughts. It should be our utmost goal to be Christlike........to be empowered by His Spirit............that was His gift to us.........we just need to use It!