“For a Christian, forgiving someone who has caused grievous harm is a profound act of obedience that centers on releasing the offender from the liability they owe, rather than seeking revenge.“
FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN HURT IS DISMISSIVE AND ADMISSIBLE
So here is the obsession: A lot of people will say – it’s not easy. Yes, we understand, but our lives are full of associations and family relations that consist of many people with the potential to hurt us in many ways. As Christians, we must be aware of this circumstance because we do not live on our little islands.
We’ve all been hurt by others in countless ways, and in varying degrees. Some of us have been so scarred by what others have done to us that we think no one can ever understand our pain.
But the Lord is present with you – he is the Omnipresence and Omniscience – he knows it all; leave it with him; stay with him, and he will fight for you – he is the Omnipotence. “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be SILENT.” [Exodus 14:14, ESV]. SILENT in this write-up and context means – forgiveness – let it go.
Others have been so deeply wounded that we can’t even think about what happened without feeling sick to our stomach. It could be anyone outside, within a family, a friend or colleague at work or a member in an organization, a club, or in church you share common goals and faith with. But the Lord says, be silent and let it go.
So, “letting it go” will require fervent prayers to break the unforgiven spirit taking residence. If we brush these hurts aside without prayers, thinking, “I am not a vindictive or overly sensitive person; these things shouldn’t bother me.” No, they do.
They do bother us, because our egos are like magnets. And resentments are attracted to egos; they can’t let it go. We still hang on to the feelings of hurt. But save yourself peace of mind; be obedient to God, and let that hurt go as you continue to pray and fast.
The consequences of failing to forgive or letting it go.
(1) Eventually, it begins to impact you in many ways as you hold onto these lingering feelings. It could be feelings of anger inside of us and sometimes generates bitterness that we perceive as unfairness if we look at it from different angles. We tend to ask why such unfairness happens to good people, or ourselves. Let it go by performing the rituals of forgiveness as Christ stated.
(2) As a Christian, the mind then becomes the battleground at this moment. Do I fight back or prove to others I am offended and hurt? So, ask yourself then, does it warrant doing any of the above? In these circumstances, we should revisit our Bibles and check what the Bible teaches us about forgiveness. Don’t let your mind become a battleground.
So, this is one of the few scriptures Jesus Christ encouraged us to soak into our spirit when we face this kind of indignation. In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” [Matthew 18:21-22, ESV]
As a Christian, if you cannot approach the hurt with true forgiveness to understand what forgiveness is, you cannot in any way forgive the other person or the group. It cannot be just lip service but by a profound Christian ethos; otherwise, you cannot be sincere in your forgiveness.
In fact, the scripture teaches us that forgiveness is a command; it is not a mere option. It is the only choice for a Christian to show their spiritual maturity. In playing hardball, ask a question or consider how many times our Father in Heaven has forgiven us in our lifetime? Do you know? No. So is it worth it to harden your heart from one or two hurts others have meted out to you?
The Lord God sent his only Son to this world to die for me, and you, for our evil sins that our sins past, present and future are forgiven. Amazing! And so you think someone has stepped on your toes and you are hurt so much that you cannot forgive that person; you cannot forgive that family member of yours; you cannot forgive that sibling of yours; and you cannot forgive that Church member of yours who’s part of the body of Christ, etc?
FORGIVENESS: Beloved, always remember that God has forgiven us more than we have forgiven others. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” [1 John 4:10, ESV] Remember God’s endless love and forgiveness for you.
You should always put yourself in the honour of the position you are in as a Christ Ambassador, and act as such. If the person who hurt you does not apologize, you can still forgive them. When you do that, you are trusting the Lord with your faith in releasing the burden of the bitterness in you to God, and the Lord will act on your behalf. Let us take a cue from Colossians 3:13. It simply advises us to mirror the Lord’s forgiveness as the Lord did for us.
“In fact, forgiveness is about liberating yourself from an unforgiving spirit and bitterness so that the Lord God can heal your wounds.” If you still have someone you have not yet forgiven, gather the courage of faith and peace to consent to this piece, which will encourage you to let it go immediately. May you keep the Faith and Hope alive.
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