Forgiveness

A few weeks ago at my church, the pastor was talking about forgiveness.

These days, it seems like forgiveness doesn't really have much meaning. People don't really understand what it really means to truly forgive. Sort of like the word love. It's just thrown around without much meaning usually attached to it. 

Sure, it can be tough to truly forgive, but people seem to take the easy way by adding a "but" and some kind of exception to it. Forgive but I won't forget. 

So is that really forgiving? If there are still strings attached or a little grudge is still there, is that really truly forgiving?

Not forgiving someone is destructive. It affects you inside and eventually comes out and affects the people you interact with. Holding a grudge just isn't healthy and it could ruin relationships that shouldn't be ruined. 

When you forgive someone, it means completely moving forward. To some extent, forget. Sometimes, there are some things you just can't forget. But it is still possible to move on and not let it get in the way of the future or in the way of starting over. 

Sometimes, it's really hard to forgive someone and move on. But it has to been done. Especially when it comes to having very close and intimate relationships like having a spouse or even having a child. You have to learn to forgive and not hold a grudge for days and days against a spouse or child. It's awful and negative and well, we all make mistakes. 

Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

What about forgiving ourselves? That has to be one of the hardest kinds of forgiveness. But today, I was reading in my devotional something that really hit home. 

The Bible doesn't tell us that we have to forgive ourselves. It's impossible for us to forgive ourselves. But that's why Jesus died on the cross. To forgive us our sins. Over and over every single day no matter how awful and terrible we think we are. We have to learn to accept that. Jesus is the one who forgives us. So if we don't think that's possible, it's like saying Jesus taking all of that pain and suffering for us wasn't good enough. 

Well, it was good enough. It was more then enough. And we are all here debt free because of that. 

Like I said before, I personally struggle with forgiving myself a lot of the time. But after reading that devotional, it makes it a little bit easier and encourages me to stop throwing a pity party and accept that free, unlimited, everlasting gift.

I'd rather not wallow in my sorrows and live in guilt and depression because I have been FREED. And to whoever else is reading this, so have you! 

1 Corinthians 13:4 - 6 NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.