Many of you have heard me say that God is a funny man and this month’s entry is proof. Until today, the majority of Under The Church Hat blog posts were written from a position of strength. However, the focus of this month’s blog, forgiveness, is an area where I have, needed help. God grows and matures us in unique ways and I am clear that He is using this entry to teach the teacher. The Father is using this entry to challenge, grow and mature me. As a former Special Education Teacher, I have had numerous experiences with teaching through engaging my students in hands-on experiences to deepen their understanding and provide opportunities for them to make meaningful connections. God is using the writing of this blog post as a hands-on lesson, specially designed for me. Forgiveness has been an area where I have struggled, and I know it is time for me to get it right because I feel The Father drawing me nearer. I, like Samuel, am ready to listen and boldly say, “Speak Lord” (1 Samuel 3:10).
Forgiveness is a controversial and often passionate conversation topic for most of us. Many people have bitterness and or unresolved anger bubbling just beneath the surface, the thought of forgiveness is infuriating. Sometimes those we deem as gracious and loving Christians are easily tripped up by this topic. The world tends to associate forgiveness with weakness however, as Christians, we know better. It is our duty to forgive because we have been forgiven. The Bible is a book about love and forgiveness. Because of God’s never-ending love for us, He forgives us. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son, Jesus the Christ, on Calvary’s cross to atone for all our sins. This sacrifice, should we accept His Son, opens the door to God’s undeserving forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Out of sheer gratitude for God’s gift of forgiveness, you and I ought to be forgiving.
Forgiveness is not about the offender; it is about me and you. Holding onto anger and resentment related to what someone has done to me hurts me, not them. Holding resentments and being unforgiving has been equated with knowingly eating poison expecting the effects to kill the one who offended you. Forgiveness changes the forgiver. You and I should not focus on the offender, we focus on The Father’s expectation, in Ephesians 4:31-32, the Apostle Paul says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” God’s forgiveness is generous and available to all. When I forgive, I am doing what The Father does. When I forgive, I treat the offender with kindness, not because they deserve it but because God expects it. As God’s daughters, we forgive as an act of gratitude and obedience. The Father forgives us each time we repent regardless of what we have done. In acknowledgment of that great gift, we must forgive.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning.” Forgiveness not only opens the door to a fresh start but also to freedom. Holding onto anger is sin, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul in the words of Ephesians 4:26 (NLT), that withholding forgiveness gives the enemy the opportunity to control us. As you and I forgive others, we break the stronghold of the enemy and open the door to the free-flowing forgiveness of The Father. I do not know about you but I want to live an abundant life and refuse to allow bitterness or resentment to block the free flow of The Father’s blessings. Additionally, when I am bound by unforgiveness, I am not hurting the person who has offended me, I am blocking my relationship with God. When I am bound by unforgiveness, I jeopardize the great and mighty things God has for me. Failing to forgive puts me at odds with God and is against His command.
You and I are commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who curse, persecute, and spitefully use us (Matthew 5:44). I know I am truly exercising forgiveness when I pray for those who have offended me as fervently as I pray for those I love and myself. It is difficult to hold a grudge and pray for someone at the same time. I know that the sin which hurt me is no greater than the sins I commit in the eyes of The Father. I want to sin less and walk in the freedom that comes from living fully surrendered to God. I refuse to be vulnerable to the enemy in any way. I refuse to spend another moment holding onto bitterness or resentment of any kind. I refuse to be sidetracked by unforgiveness. I want to walk in The Light of Jesus. I want to live fully free; presenting my whole self to The Father, withholding nothing. I want The Holy Spirit to have full reign in my life. I do not want Jesus’s sacrifice for me to be in vain. I will follow His example. I will not be shackled by the prison of unforgiveness. I am laying at the feet of Jesus asking Him to help me to become the woman He designed me to be at the beginning of time. I will forgive and truly be set free!
Join me Under The Church Hat for this month’s exercise:
Write a prayer thanking God for His forgiveness.
In what area(s) do you feel God wants to grow and mature you?
Is there anything blocking your relationship with God? Spend time in prayerful consideration and write down what God says.
List three people you need to forgive, write a prayer asking God to bless them and spend this month fervently praying for them.
Chose a passage of scripture from this devotion to meditate on throughout the month.