Forgiveness ~ it’s not about giving up your right to know
why… it’s about giving it up to care why! I know I have been forgiven for so
much from God, & I am sure I have been forgiven for things from others that
I didn’t even know about. What is mind-boggling is how does someone forgive
what someone has done against them or to them??? Just like salvation,
forgiveness is a step of faith. I can pray & pray for God to give me a
forgiving heart, but until I actually make the choice to forgive, my prayers
really are fruitless!
I was thinking of how I carried around unforgivenesss for
years, I didn’t even realize it! One day God showed me that it was there, so I knew
I had to give it up & forgive this person. Did I get the answers I wanted?
Did I get an apology from this person? Nope! But that was okay… just saying
those words, “I forgive!” what freedom came in that moment! I was able to let
go of the hurt, the questions, even the bad memories were gone. Did God erase
it? Not really, but it just didn’t matter anymore! I had found the freeing
power of forgiveness! The human heart has the capability to truly forgive, it
is usually the brain that gets in the way, or “our rights”. As a Believer of
Christ, we have received great grace & mercy. It wasn’t right that Christ
should die from our sins, but it was righteousness that brought Him to that
place. Think of all you have been forgiven of. God pours out grace each time we
do something wrong. I came across this scripture & I was reminded that
grace was poured out on me through Christ’s sacrifice for my forgiveness &
salvation, but also so I can pour grace out on others who have wronged me.
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has
passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession (faith). For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with
our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let
us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need.”
~ Hebrews 4:14-16
So what if today you give up your right to be right &
choose to be righteous??? What if you choose freedom through forgiveness over
pain & resentment through unforgiveness??? Have you heard the quote, “Do
you want to be right or do you want to be happy?” The choice is yours! I am not
saying it is easy, & I definitely am not saying that what has happened to
you is okay… I am sorry for the pain that has been caused in your life… but I am
reminding you that there are many people in this world that have chosen to
forgive horrible, horrible things & are living happy lives in freedom. Let
go of the burden!
Rejoicing
in Truth!
Carin
