Check Your Inbox - How to Keep Unforgiveness From Slowing You Down

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my work email inbox has almost 27,000 unread emails. Ugh. And since we're bearing all, there are close to 39,000 in the trash! Why on earth am I stepping out and sharing this incredibly personal flaw?

God brought this up to me recently. We’ve been working through some areas of unforgiveness. (May as well keep it real.) He showed me that holding on to grudges and animosity is just like all of those unread emails.

They load up my inbox, staring back at me in condemnation, like, “Seriously, bro? What're you doing?”

They slow down my email performance, frequently spinning the little rainbow ball endlessly before eventually doing something.

Then, if they’re not dealt with, all of these unresolved messages could crash my entire computer. (My IT folks are literally cringing.)

God showed me how unforgiveness is the same way. It weighs us down, impacting our spiritual performance, whether we realize it or not. Physically it causes anxiety, elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, depression, and a host of other ailments. (Just think about all the stuff going on inside you when you see that person you're beefin' with! We've all been there!)

We can’t afford to keep that stuff in our “inboxes.” We must get it out— move it all to the trash!

How Do I Keep Unforgiveness Out Of My InBox?

Okay, so we manage to clear out the inbox and move it to the trash. But then here’s what we do. I know my trash folder needs to be emptied, but I keep procrastinating.

“If I empty it, it’ll be gone forever! What if I need to go back and find a file from 2005 in case something comes up?” In other words, “What if I need to get that thing I say I’ve forgiven them for and use it one more time…to protect myself? CYA.”

Although we’ve forgiven, many of us still hold stuff in the trash—just in case! And as the Body of Christ, it’s weighing us down and impacting our performance (spiritual, physical, relational, emotional...all of it!) If we’re not careful, it’ll eventually cause us to CRASH.

I’m writing to myself today, y’all! (And maybe the few of you who’ve dared to read down this far! I see ya!) God challenged me to “clear out your inbox! Then empty the trash! Don’t hold on to that stuff. It’s not worth it!”

Maybe that’s a challenge for you too?

Is there someone you need to forgive? Are there a bunch of someones you need to release? Is your inbox about to be maxed out? Have you moved stuff to the trash fully intending to empty it…someday? Stop procrastinating and just clear it all out!

Ask God to help you and He’ll meet you right where you are. Just go to work on it. Focus on forgiveness. Pray for those that did you wrong. Make it your mission to instantly forgive—to immediately let stuff go. Keep your inbox clear and your trash empty so that God can have you at peak spiritual performance for HIM. 🙏🏾

Mark 11:25 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Matthew 5:44 - But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...