Forgiving When It Still Hurts - For The Christian believer forgiveness is not a choice, it is a command. The presence of hurt or pain does not negate our duty to forgive. Since Christ forgave us, we have to forgive others. No matter the hurt they have caused us, or the treachery witnessed in their hearts toward us, we must forgive. Many believe offering forgiveness only comes after youve been healed and no longer feel any pain from the offense. I beg to differ. Im convinced forgiveness is a part of the healing process. If we dont extend forgiveness, I truly believe we block our own healing. It is only when we can look at a person who has harmed us, through the eyes of God and reciprocate the compassion the Savior has shown us, that we can offer forgiveness. Offering forgiveness does not mean the person has changed. Contrarily, it simply means you have changed. Your perception of the trouble they caused you has changed. Your response to the situation has changed. It means your desire for revenge has dissipated into nothingness. Please know offering forgiveness does not mean you desire reconciliation or even that you believe it should occur. When a person truly repents of wrong doing and tries to make amends, we have the duty to try and make peace with that person. Sometimes those amends simply means establishing peace between the two of you as you go your separate ways. It is a great testament to your relationship with Christ and your maturity in Christ to offer forgiveness in the midst of experiencing pain. For then, it is plainly seen it is the person of Christ in you who is extending the forgiveness, as your heart is in no condition to do so. We forgive because it allows Christ the ability to give us peace in the midst of a hurtful situation. Forgiving those whove trepassed against us while were still hurting reveals more about our character and the grace of Christ than anything else. God forgives daily all of mankind, shouldnt we occasionally one at a time? “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part. Matthew 6:14-15 MSG
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 23:43:47 +0000
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