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Do you hold onto unforgiveness like a life raft?
A lot of us do.
If you want real rescue, you’ve got to let it go, and learn to forgive. In her book, “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget“, Lysa TerKeurst calls forgiveness a weapon. The battle is for freedom.
When we don’t forgive, shame, grief and bitterness wound us. With our forgiveness pointed outward, we actually free our hearts from pain. It doesn’t always make sense, but that’s how things are in God’s Kingdom.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (NIV)
So, we wage the war—armed with forgiveness—as we battle for freedom. And the prize? A beautiful redemption. Your heart is redeemed—and you might even see relationships restored.
Forgiveness is hard. CS Lewis says, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have to forgive.”
It’s so true. It’s something none of us are strong enough to do on our own. In fact, the only way we can truly forgive is through the grace and power of Jesus. He gives us the perfect example. He forgave each one of us and wiped our sins away even before we could ask. There was no pre-forgiveness apology. No groveling. No humiliation. And that’s key.
When we truly understand that amazing sacrifice made for us, we are much more willing to forgive. In her book, Lysa says, “At first we say it’s too soon. And then years go by, and we say it’s too late.”
It’s so true, right? The best time to forgive is right now. Say it every morning, “Today is a great day to forgive!” You can do it! Because Jesus did it for you!
When you forgive, you may not feel better. That happens. Forgive anyway. It’s about living for Jesus, not just feeling better. I love what Lysa says here: “Feeling angry is different than living angry. Feeling offended is different than living offended. Feeling skeptical is different than living skeptical. Feeling wronged is different than living wronged. Feeling resentment is different than living resentful.”
So how do you get your feelings in line with the freedom God has promised? Pray. Ask God to change the way you feel. It’s not immediate. But it is possible, thanks to forgiveness.
Sunday Afternoon Host, STAR 93.3
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I work with someone who has a chip on her shoulder. I am around her 8 hours a day, 5 days a week! I have to constantly bite my tongue! All day long I say, “I trust you Jesus,” or I’ll say, “I trust you Jesus, I put my hope in you,” or I’ll say, “ Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!” I go to work every day. Believe you, me, there are mornings when I wake up, I don’t want to go to work but I go! I get tired of praying for her and putting her in Abba Father’s Almighty Hands! I keep asking my Heavenly Father, why is she here? I know I don’t work for the company I work for, I work for Abba Father! I forgive 70×7. I know who my Lord and Savior is and it is Christ Jesus!!! He died for everyone’s sins!!! Pray for me because she is very tiring!