“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:12-13
The forgiveness we do not give, the forgiveness we withhold— will hold us back in our relationship with the Lord and the plans He has for us.
Unforgiveness will become a stumbling block in our walk with the Lord and with others. It doesn’t matter if the person receives it, and it doesn’t matter if the person does or does not acknowledge wrong doing.
Forgiveness is about our heart letting go instead of staying in bondage to that circumstance. Forgiveness isn’t about changing the offender. It is about a change in us.
When we fully forgive, we will stop playing the same tape in our head, going over and over the wrong committed against us. When we stop playing that tape over and over again, life will become fuller and richer and the past pain will noticeably subside, leaving us wishing we had granted ourselves this freedom much sooner.
God is the ultimate healer and when we forgive and let go, He comes in with His balm of healing and tender care and does a work on our wounds that will truly change our lives. This change will take us to a place of continued and complete healing.
When you hear yourself saying this is too hard, ask yourself – is it too hard for God? Does God want you to stay stuck living in that pain, and living in that past that is keeping you from living today and embracing the future with hope?
Unforgiveness is the precise reason we can’t get past the pain. Letting go and moving past the pain will bring you peace and peace will bring you a new and fresh outlook on life as you discover a joy in your heart that you have not known before.
In the strength of the Lord, you can forgive and let go, you can heal and move forward in complete wholeness.
Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. “
By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission
Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/
FURTHER READING
Feelings, Forgiveness and Peace | by Dr. Muriel Larson
The Power of Forgiveness | by Dr. Henry Brandt
How to Experience God’s Love and Forgiveness (3 parts)
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