I have experienced so many disappointments in my life, as most of us have, but it's what I do with those disappointments that matters. After each disappointment, God led me to choose to lay it aside, forgive, and move on. Every single time I have chosen to obey this command from the Lord, I have benefited.
It seems that we end up with at least one thing that we refuse to lay aside and forgive.. Oh, we will express how we've forgiven this person but wonder why we have lost the power of God in our lives. We wonder why we feel more disconnected spiritually. We wonder why our prayers are not answered and how we feel like God's presence isn't there. When I have experienced these things, it has ALWAYS been that there is some unresolved sin that I have refused to deal with - like forgiving someone.
Forgiveness is not optional. God commands us to forgive NO MATTER WHAT! In Colossians 3:13 it tells us that "as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Then in Luke 6:37 we are reminded "forgive, and you will be forgiven." As a "follower of Jesus," I am definitely called to forgive NO MATTER WHAT!
So, how can I forgive someone who has terribly hurt me? Honestly, only by God's power can I do this. God gives me everything I need to obey Him. But I have to choose to receive this power and obey. God reminds me daily that anything that He calls me to do, He gives me the POWER to do it (Deut. 30:11). That leaves me without excuse! How awesome and reassuring is this? This encourages me everyday - that I never need to live my life apart from God and try in my own strength, power, and discipline and struggle to do what is right. HE gives me His power (the power of the Holy Spirit within me - Zech. 4:6) to help me do the right things. He helps me to obey Him and this includes forgiving someone who terribly hurt me. He gives me the power to do this and the ability to heal through the hurt.
When I have chosen to obey by God's power and forgive someone, I first had to pray for God's help. God loves answering my prayers that are in line with His will. "The prayer of the righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). Hallelujah! I am reminded though that forgiveness is a process and will take time. Once I have forgiven, that heavy burden was lifted from me and what an indescribable peace I was filled with and able to enjoy. This peace is from the Lord and is not the type of peace that the world offers. On the contrary, this peace is a peace that offers hope, joy, healing and freedom.
Lastly, God reminded me that He is the judge. When I refused to forgive, I was playing judge. God says that "vengeance is His and that He will repay what is necessary" (Romans 12:19). Then God goes on to say that I needed to be nice to the person who hurt me and whom I had forgiven. I needed to feed this person if he was hungry or give him something to drink if he was thirsty; when I did this, it would be like heaping burning coals on his head (Romans 12:21). The way I interpreted this interesting verse is that evil loves evil and when I choose to do the right, godly thing by utilizing God's power within me, I will totally frustrate my foe (the person I have forgiven who may not have deserved it). This person will be baffled that I did not continue to be obnoxious to him and as a result, wonder how I could be so nice. He will recognize a supernatural power within me on behaving this way; ultimately this works out for my good, his good, and God's glory! Yes, God's ways are always the BEST ways!
May we always choose to forgive!
(Don't forget to look down below for more blogging)
It seems that we end up with at least one thing that we refuse to lay aside and forgive.. Oh, we will express how we've forgiven this person but wonder why we have lost the power of God in our lives. We wonder why we feel more disconnected spiritually. We wonder why our prayers are not answered and how we feel like God's presence isn't there. When I have experienced these things, it has ALWAYS been that there is some unresolved sin that I have refused to deal with - like forgiving someone.
Forgiveness is not optional. God commands us to forgive NO MATTER WHAT! In Colossians 3:13 it tells us that "as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Then in Luke 6:37 we are reminded "forgive, and you will be forgiven." As a "follower of Jesus," I am definitely called to forgive NO MATTER WHAT!
So, how can I forgive someone who has terribly hurt me? Honestly, only by God's power can I do this. God gives me everything I need to obey Him. But I have to choose to receive this power and obey. God reminds me daily that anything that He calls me to do, He gives me the POWER to do it (Deut. 30:11). That leaves me without excuse! How awesome and reassuring is this? This encourages me everyday - that I never need to live my life apart from God and try in my own strength, power, and discipline and struggle to do what is right. HE gives me His power (the power of the Holy Spirit within me - Zech. 4:6) to help me do the right things. He helps me to obey Him and this includes forgiving someone who terribly hurt me. He gives me the power to do this and the ability to heal through the hurt.
When I have chosen to obey by God's power and forgive someone, I first had to pray for God's help. God loves answering my prayers that are in line with His will. "The prayer of the righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). Hallelujah! I am reminded though that forgiveness is a process and will take time. Once I have forgiven, that heavy burden was lifted from me and what an indescribable peace I was filled with and able to enjoy. This peace is from the Lord and is not the type of peace that the world offers. On the contrary, this peace is a peace that offers hope, joy, healing and freedom.
Lastly, God reminded me that He is the judge. When I refused to forgive, I was playing judge. God says that "vengeance is His and that He will repay what is necessary" (Romans 12:19). Then God goes on to say that I needed to be nice to the person who hurt me and whom I had forgiven. I needed to feed this person if he was hungry or give him something to drink if he was thirsty; when I did this, it would be like heaping burning coals on his head (Romans 12:21). The way I interpreted this interesting verse is that evil loves evil and when I choose to do the right, godly thing by utilizing God's power within me, I will totally frustrate my foe (the person I have forgiven who may not have deserved it). This person will be baffled that I did not continue to be obnoxious to him and as a result, wonder how I could be so nice. He will recognize a supernatural power within me on behaving this way; ultimately this works out for my good, his good, and God's glory! Yes, God's ways are always the BEST ways!
May we always choose to forgive!
(Don't forget to look down below for more blogging)