the power of forgiveness

Good morning!

Does any bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness have a hold of you? It is easy for those seeds to get planted subtly even when we least expect it. Anytime you feel wronged or like justice wasn’t served, you have an opportunity to let that fester in your spirit and soul or to release it to God.

Did Jesus tell us to forgive endlessly to torture us? How unfair, we might say. They shouldn’t have gotten away with that! They shouldn’t have treated me that way!

Of course we know that Jesus has a perfect purpose for us in the command to forgive. It frees us and leaves the outcomes, the injustice, the corrections that need to happen, in the capable hands of God. Our way of fixing situations, getting justice or correcting things often leads to more trouble and turmoil.

We also are operating in pride when we don’t forgive or when we hold bitterness and resentment. If we want and ask for forgiveness from God or others, shouldn’t we give the same to others? You might say, but they didn’t admit they were wrong or they didn’t say they were sorry. Does not matter. I wonder if I, if you, have offended and hurt others without realizing it. Ummmm yeah. Do I (do you) want to be forgiven? Of course. I certainly don’t want someone to hold bitterness or resentment against me. I don’t want to hold that against anyone else either.

Even if they know they wronged you and never admit it, could you imagine leaving that situation with the Lord? To me, that is the freedom that we are offered through forgiveness. We are not responsible for all that needs to happen to fix the situation. We have the opportunity to live free of how other people treat us, how they behave and how we feel.

One of my favorite authors, Merlin Carothers, was writing about this topic at a pertinent time for me. I have learned this lesson before and was actively using it in a situation. I was blessing someone who hurt me. I was asking the same blessings for them as I ask for my family and myself. Then I read this:

“I was learning that God would cause other people’s actions to increase my happiness, even if that had not been their intention.”

Pray for the happiness of those who curse you; implore God’s blessing on those who hurt you, Luke 6:28

Our daughter’s boyfriend told me of a situation not too long ago where he did this. Not only was he released from the pain of what someone inflicted on him, but he actually saw an explosion of blessings in his own life. The act of obeying Jesus’ direction holds so much power! It is our choice to release that into our lives through that act of our will!