Forgiveness
It’s said that the first to apologize is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest, and the first to forget is the happiest. Forgiveness isn’t one of the Ten Commandments. In fact, it’s not even something that’s talked about very much in sermons. However, it’s one of the most important factors in living healthy and free. Remember, we don’t forgive to release others and make them feel better, although this happens. We choose to forgive not just because God asks us to and it’s the right thing to do, we forgive because He knows that in forgiving others, we release ourselves from bitterness, anger, resentment, and retaliation.
Unforgiveness is a part of the emotional baggage we talked about on Day 10. It weighs us down and it produces those negative emotions we listed above towards those who have hurt us and the world at large. It makes us angry and, at its extreme, can cause us to take unimaginable actions. Here’s the rub.Those people we’re holding in unforgiveness often haven’t a clue either that they’ve hurt us to the degree they have or that we hold such enmity. They might well be amazed.
Forgiveness starts at home. It starts with you. We’re often our own worst critics, and if we’ve ever allowed ourselves to take on responsibilities (often false ones), we can so easily beat ourselves up for not having done enough, for letting others down, or for just failing. We do all of this without it necessarily being in anyone else’s opinion other than our own. When we do this, we conjure up false identities around what we think people think about us, keeping us from the relationships and intimacy that we, as humans, most desire. The healing process begins when we ask God these questions, ”What do I need to forgive myself for?” and then, having done so,” Have I conjured up any false identities to fit in with what I think other people want me to be?”You may want to add another one, “Father God, how do You see me?”.
Reading:
And whenever you stand praying, if you find you carry something in your heart against another person, release him and forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also release you and forgive you of your faults.
Mark 11:25 TPT Also Read:
Colossians 3:13
Matthew 6:13-14
72
Prayer and Response:
How did it feel to forgive people during your Sozo? How do you feel about them now? Do you feel freer? Is there anyone else you could forgive? Ask Father God!
Choose to forgive those He brings to your attention. Forgive them not just for what they did but for how that made you feel. There could be a list, so take your time and be clear about what it is you’re forgiving them for. One way to know if you’ve really forgiven someone is to ask yourself whether you can not only forgive that person but also bless them. Why not write your list down and go through it one by one? You could revisit this list in a month or two and see how you feel about those people then. Hopefully, you will feel very differently about them, but if not, there’s more forgiveness to be done!