Given For Free...

I have no doubt that many of us are carrying some deep wounds that we’ve carried for months, maybe even years. When one thinks about that person who hurt one, it’s still as fresh as if it happened this morning. The pain is still there, and we’re still filled with resentment.

We say, “Why in the world should I forgive that person who hurt me so much? You have no idea how much they hurt me. Why should I offer grace to that person?”

We ought to do it for three reasons:

1. We need to be gracious to others and forgive those who have hurt us because God has been gracious to us.

We can never forgive anyone else more than Christ has already forgiven us. We should consider that we don't always get what we deserved, either. God has been gracious to us; now be gracious with others.

2. We need to forgive others because the alternative is bitterness.

Scientists tell us that resentment is the unhealthiest emotion there is. It always hurts you more than anybody else! Resentment will not change the past, and it won’t solve the problem. It doesn’t even make you feel better. In fact, it makes you feel worse.

Scripture says (and I paraphrase), “Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace which God gives; for if you do there can very easily spring up in you a bitter spirit, which is not only bad in itself, but can also poison the lives of many others.”

3. We need to show grace to and forgive others because God expects us to do it.

If one says, “I could never forgive that person,” then best hope you never sin. If you just don’t feel like doing it, do it anyway, because it’s the right thing to do.

The reason why some of us have a hard time forgiving is because we don’t feel forgiven; and if that is so, pray this prayer of liberation and freedom from the depths of your heart:

“Dear Lord, You know that I have been hurt by others. You know that my resentment has made me act in ways that have been unreasonable and unhelpful and unhealthy. I need Your power to release and forgive those who have hurt me so I can stop letting them control me. Lord, please replace my hurt with your peace. God, I realize that I have hurt a lot of other people with my habits and my bad decisions and my hang-ups; please forgive me for the way I've hurt others. Help me to make a list of those I've harmed and in the right way at the right time to humbly seek to make amends. I want to refocus my life on YOU. I want to face the future courageously with love and peace in my heart. I implore You, dear Father, to help me replace my resentment with Your love, and my bitterness with Your grace.
My sincere and contrite thanks for Your gracious forgiveness for all the things that I've done wrong - help me to help You set things right. Amen.”

This is the first and most important step to start loving yourself again; in His mercy and to His glory - stay blessed, love Staf xxxxxxx