The Journey of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is one of the hardest things that God asks of us, but He never asks anything of us that He won’t equip and strengthen us to do. That goes for forgiveness too.
Over the past 47 years of my life and 25 years in full-time ministry, there have been several lessons that God has taught me about forgiveness. I want to share those lessons with you.
1. Forgiveness is a journey…a process.
Forgiveness is not a one-time event. Every memory of the hurt we’ve endured gives us the opportunity to forgive…AGAIN. Forgiveness takes time. The greater the hurt, the greater the time it takes to heal and forgive. Be patient with yourself and remember, forgiveness is a journey.
2. Unforgiveness separates us from God.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:15, that in order for God to forgive us, we must forgive others. Pretty plain and simple, isn’t it? But certainly not easy.
Unforgiveness creates a wall of separation between us and God. Even though we are still in relationship with God, our fellowship with Him can be hindered because of the unforgiveness we carry towards others.
I decided a long time ago, that there is NO ONE or NO CIRCUMSTANCE in my life that’s worth separating me from God. I must forgive. Period.
3. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right…it makes me FREE!
I believed the lie of the enemy for years that if I forgave that person, it made what they did to me RIGHT. That is not true at all! As I forgive others, it doesn’t make them right, it just makes me FREE.
Unforgiveness keeps us in bondage. Forgiveness makes us free.
4. The majority of the people I’ve had to forgive…NEVER asked for it.
We cannot wait for an apology to give forgiveness to someone. That apology will probably not happen and our forgiveness cannot be based on whether we receive an apology or not.
Forgiveness really isn’t about the other person. It’s about us being free and walking in right relationship and fellowship with God.
5. Unforgiveness eventually leads to a bitter heart.
The book of Hebrews (12:14-15) tells us not allow a root of bitterness to grow in your heart because if you do, you’ll miss out on the grace of God. I don’t know about you but I NEED God’s grace in my life!
Unforgiveness that continues to remain and fester in our hearts will eventually lead to a root of bitterness in our hearts, and a bitter heart will lead to missing out on the grace of God.
The more forgiveness you extend, the more grace you receive!
As Christians, we must become professional “forgivers”! Anyone who God has used in a great way (either in the Bible or today), are people who have learned the art of forgiveness. WE MUST FORGIVE FREELY!
Check your heart today. Is there anyone that you need to forgive? If so, release that forgiveness to them now and allow the grace of God to flood your life. It’s not easy, but it’s so necessary. It’s not worth holding on to your unforgiveness and separating yourself from God and missing out on His grace.
Forgive today!