"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." -Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

The Last Dance” was an ESPN documentary that went behind the scenes of the 1997-98 NBA Champion Chicago Bulls. Part of the documentary discussed the rivalry between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons in the last 80’s and early 90’s. It is also discussed the Pistons’ dominance over the Bulls, particularly during the early years of Michael Jordan’s career. The Bulls initially had difficulty defeating the Pistons in the playoffs because of their physicality and an implemented defensive philosophy called “The Jordan Rules.” The Detroit Pistons won two straight NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. 

With The Jordan Rules, the Pistons focused on a few principles as it pertained to guarding Michael Jordan.

Joe Dumars or Dennis Rodman would guard Jordan man-to-man. With Dumars guarding him, he would force and funnel Jordan to his left side. As he drove to the basket, the Pistons’ big men, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, and James Edwards, met him at the rim, physically willing to foul him hard. They had mentality of “no easy baskets.”

Also, the Pistons double teamed Jordan with the focus of making him pass the ball to his teammates instead of him playing one-on-one. Their goal was to make his teammates beat them because Jordan was that much of a scoring threat on the basketball court.

In the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls finally overcame the Detroit Pistons as they swept them 4-0. One memorable moment of that series was when the Pistons walked past the Bulls’ bench before the final clock expired without shaking one member of the Bulls’ hands. That moment displeased Michael Jordan and his Bulls’ teammates. The Pistons’ bad sportsmanship stuck with Jordan for a very long time. Twenty-nine years later, during the Last Dance documentary (2020), Jordan said that he hated Isiah Thomas, who was the star of the Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons. M.J. stated, “I respect Isiah Thomas’ talent. To me, the best point guard of all time is Magic Johnson and right behind him is Isiah Thomas. No matter how much I hate him, I respect him.” One may wonder why Jordan hated Thomas so much. Although Jordan had respect for Thomas’ game, this hatred was an example of unforgiveness and a grudge that Jordan was harboring in his heart.

I was watching a clip from the Fox Sports 1 sports debating show, “Undisputed” where Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless discussed Michael Jordan’s comments about Isiah Thomas. Shannon Sharpe had one of the most powerful quotes. Sharpe stated that his grandmother said this to him as a little boy, “There can never be freedom without forgiveness. I think people look at freedom as being incarcerated—my inability to go somewhere, to do something, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly—but no. Your emotions, your feelings can be held hostage and can be in bondage and you will never be free.” This inspirational statement from Shannon Sharpe helps us to recognize the importance of forgiveness.

Has anyone broken your heart? Have you ever been mistreated by a friend, family member, coworker, classmate or an enemy of yours? Have you ever been in a toxic relationship or marriage in which the other person cheated on you? Have you ever been in a situation in which you have been raped or been involved with domestic violence? Have you encountered a situation in which a person who you considered to be a close friend mocked you or talked negatively behind your back? Have you ever grown up without your biological mother and/or father in your life? Have you had a family member or friend who was murdered?

We have all dealt with situations in which we felt mistreated, but it is so important for us to recognize how much God has forgiven us for the sins that we have committed (when we repent). God allowed His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. As a result, those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be saved. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are made right with God, and receive His grace, which is His unmerited favor. As believers of Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. Every day, we must understand the importance of “loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength” as it states that in Matthew 22:37. When we love God with all of our might, then we will be able to do what the next verse (v. 38) says, “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” Daily, we must ask God to help us produce the fruits of the Spirit within us (peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) so that as we can grow in our relationship with God and be more like Christ. Loving God and others is so important because it helps us to recognize the grace that God has given us when we sin. Remember that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), but by God’s grace, we are able to repent of our sins and draw close to God. 1 John 1:9 reminds us “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Are you having difficulty forgiving the person or people that have mistreated you? Is it because the pain or hurt that they caused was too difficult to overcome? Romans 8:37 informs us that,“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” We can overcome our past hurt, pain, trauma with God’s help. We must go to God in prayer asking Him to give the peace and the strength to forgive and He will do so. We must desire to have a mind of Christ.

A couple of the major reasons why we have not been able to forgive is because of pride and/or fear that we will be hurt again. When we are unwilling to forgive, we will be trapped as a prisoner of unforgiveness. We must break free from bondage and captivity so that we can be all that God desires us to be and so we can receive everything that He has for us. For us to truly forgive, we must humble ourselves before God humbles us. Once we forgive, we will receive freedom and feel better emotionally and mentally. Your forgiveness can be testimony to the person who hurt you and they can ultimately be saved (if they aren’t already).

Never allow a grudge or unforgiveness to hold you captive. Honestly, do we have a right to hold a grudge or be unwilling to forgive especially when God doesn’t hold a grudge toward us? No, we do not. I know that the pain, hurt, and trauma is too difficult to move forward from, but I know a God who cares for you and wants to give you peace. 1 Peter 5:7 says that you are to “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” You can move forward and grow in God, but you must seek Him. When “you draw close to Him, He will draw close to you” according to James 4:8. In addition, we must remember to forgive those who we consider to be our enemies. The enemy is looking to distract and destroy as many people as possible and he is going to look to do this by attacking our mind and tempting us to do wrong. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” When people come against us, we must remember that we are fighting against mere humans. We are in a fight with the devil himself and he is using people to get to you. When you were in school, you couldn’t excel to the next grade until you passed your tests and quizzes. Likewise, the devil will continue to use people to get to you until you pass the tests.

Please remember when you forgive, it is imperative to avoid harboring a perspective of “I’m going to forgive but I’m not going to forget.” Is this truly forgiveness? No, it isn’t. With God, you can be free.

Don't allow grudges to hold you captive.

-Matthew 5:43-45
-Matthew 6:9-15
-Matthew 18:21-22
-Mark 11:23-26
-Luke 6:37
-Ephesians 4:31-32
-Ephesians 6:10-12
-Galatians 5:22-23
-Jonah 4