SOMEONE HAS DONE TO US AND NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT PERSON EVER AGAIN. WHILE THIS IS A FORM OF FORGIVENESS, THIS IS NOT THE WAY GOD WANTS US TO BE. HE WANTS TO TAKE US TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF FORGIVENESS. HE WANTS US TO NOT ONLY LET GO OF WHAT WAS DONE OR SAID, HE WANTS US TO GIVE ALL THE FEELINGS, EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS TO HIM, SO THAT HE CAN HEAL US TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN AND WILL INTERACT WITH THE PERSON WHO DID US WRONG. I AM NOT SAYING WE ARE TO FORGET, BECAUSE SOME THINGS WE CAN NEVER FORGET, BUT GOD WANTS TO GET US TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL GIVE THE SITUATION TO HIM, SO HE CAN HEAL US, SO HE CAN REMOVE THE FEELINGS, THAT ARE NOT OF HIM AND ALLOW HIM TO FILL US WITH HIS LOVE, NOT JUST FOR HIM OR OURSELVES, BUT FOR THOSE WE HAVE A CERTAIN DISDAIN FOR. WHEN WE BEGIN TO SPEND TIME IN HIS PRESENCE, PRAYING, HAVING COMMUNE WITH HIM, TALKING TO HIM ABOUT ALL THAT IS GOING ON, HE BEGINS TO POUR OUT HIS LOVE IN US, UNTIL WE ARE OVERFLOWING AND WANT TO POUR THAT SAME LOVE INTO OTHERS. I DIGRESS.
SOME OF YOU ARE SITTING THERE THINKING OF THINGS FOLK HAVE DONE TO YOU OR THOSE CLOSE TO YOU AND ARE SAYING, “THAT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE. I COME TO TELL YOU THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE OFFENSE IS, YOU CAN FORGIVE. SOME OFFENSES MAY TAKE TIME AND SOME MAY HAVE HAPPENED OVER TIME.
BEFORE I GET AHEAD OF MYSELF, I REALLY NEED TO TOUCH ON WHAT FORGIVENESS MEAN. I AM TALKING THAT REAL FORGIVENESS. THAT FORGIVENESS WHERE IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE PERSON HAS DONE, YOU WILL FORGIVE THEM.
FORGIVENESS MEANS TO
1. TO GRANT PARDON FOR OR REMISSION OF (AN OFFENSE, DEBT, ETC.); ABSOLVE.
2. TO CEASE TO FEEL RESENTMENT AGAINST: TO FORGIVE ONE’S ENEMIES.
3. TO CEASE TO BLAME OR HOLD RESENTMENT AGAINST (SOMEONE OR SOMETHING)
FORGIVE AND FORGIVENESS IS MENTIONED 99 TIMES IN THE BIBLE.
I AM GOING TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND READ, MATTHEW 5, VERSES 43-48, WHERE JESUS TEACHES US ABOUT LOVING OUR ENEMIES. HE TEACHES, “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.’ BUT I SAY TO YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN; FOR HE MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST. FOR IF YOU LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU, WHAT REWARD HAVE YOU? DO NOT EVEN THE TAX COLLECTORS DO THE SAME? AND IF YOU GREET YOUR BRETHREN ONLY, WHAT DO YOU DO MORE THAN OTHERS? DO NOT EVEN THE TAX COLLECTORS DO SO? THEREFORE YOU SHALL BE PERFECT, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT.”
OFTENTIMES, FORGIVENESS BECOMES A MATTER OF THE HEART. WE MUST BEGAN BY ASKING GOD TO REMOVE ALL THE TRASH, WE HAVE ALLOWED SATAN TO PLACE THERE AND TO REPLACE IT WITH HIS FRUIT, HIS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL, THAT IS FOUND IN GALATIANS 5:22 & 23.
AFTER THE TRASH HAS BEEN REMOVED, THEN WE ARE ABLE TO GO TO GOD AND ASK HIM TO BEGIN TO HEAL OUR HEARTS. TO HEAL OUR HEARTS FROM ALL THE HURT, ANGER, FRUSTRATION, SADNESS AND ANY OTHER FEELING WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OFFENSES THAT WAS DONE AGAINST US.
ONCE GOD HAS BEGUN THE HEALING PROCESS, WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE THE FEELINGS WE HAD BEFORE WE WENT TO HIM. WE CAN BEGIN TO ASK GOD TO TEACH US HOW TO FORGIVE THE WAY HE FORGIVES US. WE KEEP ASKING AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT, WE WILL FORGIVE THE WAY HE FORGIVES
Forgiveness: God's Way