Recently, I implored a good friend of mine to forgive someone that had wronged her, betrayed her and still continues to stomp on her heart. Furiously she responded ‘that would feel like death to forgive him’!
Ahh yes to offer forgiveness upon our enemies would appear to be weak, backing down and death to our soul. In my experience it is this death that leads to a beautiful resurrection, my Bible assures me that in the Kingdom of God ‘to lose our life is to gain it’! How do we gain life? Extend forgiveness to our enemies.
Forgiveness will bring healing to your body and your broken heart, do your part and truly forgive them and God will do His part to help you heal from the emotional pain that has held you captive to the past. Like me, you may forgive a person but still have ill feeling towards him or her, the truth is you cannot truly forgive without the Holy Spirit’s help, no amount of self-determination or strong will can achieve complete love and forgiveness.
Our human nature is to be led by our feelings, some of my well-meaning friends retort, ‘be strong, don’t let him get away with that… it’s a dog eat dog world’, even at the mention of forgiveness! I readily admit that forgiveness is unfair. However, if we do not forgive we will become resentful, The word resentment literally means ‘to feel again’, as Philip Yancey, author of What’s So Amazing About Grace, succinctly put it: “… resentment clings to the past, relives it over and over, picks each fresh scab so that the wound never heals”.
Despite what the world says, a strong courageous woman is a forgiving woman. Granting forgiveness doesn’t feel natural, but if we do not transcend nature, we remain in bondage to the past, held captive to the people we cannot forgive. Author and Pastor, Timothy Keller refers to the act of forgiveness , as feeling like a death initially but it is a death that leads to resurrection “Forgiveness must be granted before it can be felt, but it does come eventually. It leads to a new peace, a resurrection”. Although a most unnatural act, forgiveness offers a way out and as you choose to forgive, I assure you, faith will carry you beyond your feelings and by His spirit, God will give you the courage and strength to forgive your enemies, wish them well and let them go their way.
Who do you need to forgive? Release your grip on them today and you will be set free to soar high above the circumstances which have held you back for so long now. x
April 22, 2015 at 7:02 am
Good word! Forgiveness simply means that you’re releasing that person to God. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die! Although forgiving doesn’t mean we have to stay in a situation where we’re harassed and stomped on.
April 24, 2015 at 11:15 am
YESSS 🙂 releasing them to God and definitely not staying around to be harassed and stomped on… “Tarzan needs to be sent back to the jungle until he learns how to treat a lady” – Kris Vallotton. Hope your book is going well x
April 22, 2015 at 7:31 am
Lauralee this is beautiful, really speaks to my heart. Thank you xx
April 24, 2015 at 11:12 am
Hi Connie! Thank you, so glad to hear that my writing meant something to you x
April 22, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Welcome back 😊 You haven’t blogged in a while – I was hoping that you were ok 💕
Philip Yancey’s book “What’s so amazing about grace?” Is one of my absolutely favourite Christian books. I like Tim Keller too. 😊
April 24, 2015 at 11:12 am
Thank you Victoria… it’s nice to be missed! I have been fine, just other priorities to attend to :-). Have a wonderful day x