Forgivness (part I) How do you TRULY Forgive

How do you TRULY Forgive

 One of the thorniest and most difficult things we humans are ever called upon to do is to forgive others and even the unforgivable. We love to read stories about people who have responded to hatred with love, but when that very thing is demanded of us personally, our default seems to be anger, angst (dread or anguish), depression, self-righteousness, hatred, etc. Yet study after study shows that one of the keys to longevity and good health is to develop a habit of gratitude and let go of past hurts, besides its biblical to forgive. Forgiveness isn't just something you do for the other person.

 

Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another.” Forgiveness cannot happen in an atmosphere of anger, bitterness, wrath, and evil speaking. When we allow our disagreements to go unchecked and unresolved, they gradually begin to pollute the atmosphere in which we live. And while forgiveness does not thrive in this atmosphere, forgiveness is the only thing that can break the cycle.

 

David Jeremiah stated, “When we understand how much God has forgiven us, we are set free to forgive others. That’s the whole purpose of the story. That’s the whole purpose of Matthew 6:14–15. That’s the whole purpose of Matthew 6:12 in the Lord’s Prayer. We are constantly to reflect upon the fact that we have been forgiven much. Some Christians were saved out of a Christian home and may not have lived a very sordid life for which they have been forgiven. But by reading Romans 1–4 a few times, every believer will come to grips with the state of his or her sin and how much they have been forgiven by God”. Lets practice forgivness.

 

 

Have you ever said, “I was severely wronged by someone I once trusted. People want me to forgive, but how can I simply let my offender off the hook?” If these words have passed your lips or even rolled around in your mind, be assured that you are not alone. That is precisely why you need to know how to handle “the hook.”

 

 How to Handle “the hook”

Ø  Make a list of all the offenses caused by your offender.

 

Ø  Imagine right now that a hook is attached to your collarbone. Then imagine all the pain attached to the hook as a result of the wrong that was done to you.

 

Ø  Ask yourself, Do I really want to carry all that pain with me for the rest of my life? The Lord wants you to take the pain from the past and release it into His hands.

 

Ø  Then take the one who offended you off your emotional hook and place your offender onto God’s hook. The Lord knows how to deal with your offender in His time and in His way. God says ... “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” (Deuteronomy 32:35)

 

Sources

Rodney Fry , Rose Publishing, NASB, David Jeremiah http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/_images/lwc/pdfs/Prayer_L6.pdf