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| Forgive So You Can Be Free |
“The ocean of unfairness is vast. The eye cannot take in the sheer size of hurts, the wrongs and the rejections so many people experience, but as I have been told out on sea when sickness takes affect... ‘look out towards the horizon.’” - F. Lugo
There is a way to get rid of the hurt, the pain, the rejection. There’s a way to get rid of those things that have happened unfairly to you that are now a sickness to you, that keep you from experiencing joy, peace and love. It’s called FORGIVENESS.
You may be saying, “I’ve been hurt too much to forgive. I don’t deserve to feel what I feel. They deserve to have done to them, what they did to me.” I can understand your pain. I’ve been there to. Forgiving others doesn’t seem to make sense in order for us to be set free, but I can tell you from experience many times, it does exactly that! SET YOU FREE! Beloved, carrying around the hurt and desiring revenge will never bring back the time before you were hurt, you were wronged, you were treated unfairly and experienced rejection.
Those who hurt can never pay back to those they hurt, something they don’t have. What do I mean by this? Those who hurt can’t treat better unless they know better.
Before you know it, you're a prisoner to your own pain. As Joel describes, “When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free. That prisoner isn't the person who hurt you; the prisoner is you.”
As I said earlier there’s a sea of pain out there. Joel shares this in Every Day A Friday: Someone may have lied about you, betrayed you, or mistreated you, but what they did was not enough to keep you from your destiny. You cannot let one divorce, one betrayal, or one bad childhood experience keep you from the awesome future God has in store for you.
As I read those words above in Chapter fifteen “Forgive So You Can Be Free” I thought of something that is very dear to my heart.
Those who allow one mistake; one error in judgement haunt them everyday as if it’s the day they’re in, relive that day they committed the mistake, and lose the blessed day, they are in. In specific young women, who through one moment of weakness became pregnant and through one moment of despair gave up (aborted) that child.
Beloved, know that YOU ARE LOVED, and in Christ your one moment doesn’t have to last you an eternity of hurt and pain. Look to Jesus, and receive forgiveness forever, in which will set you free, and pay the cost of the extra baggage you carried around all this time, and finally blot away your hurting moment. Amen!
Forgiveness is something that is hard to do. It can take time. Forgiveness many times is a process. It may not happen overnight. Joel writes, “Forgiveness is not about being nice and kind; it's about letting go so you can claim the amazing future that awaits you.”
Joel goes onto share words from Jesus concerning His ability to bring healing to our hurts and pains. Jesus came and died on the Cross, that we would be forgiven; that we would know and believe that he came “to announce release to the captives...to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]” (Luke 4:18 AMP)
The pains we carry around that are bruising, crushing and breaking our spirit and our ability to experience God’s best for our lives can only be set free through forgiveness. This forgiveness we are able to give and receive only through God's Son Jesus. He is the One who announces that freedom to those who are in captivity. He’s the One who makes it all possible. He is the One who died on the Cross. He is the One who rose from the grave three days later, so you, I and all who believe in the name of Jesus, could be set FREE FOREVER! In your pain, in your hurt, cry out... call out to Jesus. He will bring healing and newness to you. Won’t you do that with me now? If so, let us pray:
God, I hurt. I hurt bad all over. My heart hurts. My mind hurts. My past hurts me. My present situation and circumstance hurts me. I fear, that my future will hurt me. Please free me from this hurt as only You can. I believe and confess that Jesus came to set me free when He died on the Cross and rose from the grave 3 days later. Thank You that I can come to you as I am, to be set free from all my hurts, in Jesus name. Amen.
God is a God of Justice. Not only does He forgive us but He strengthens us to desire others to be forgiven and receive the same love, mercy and healing we'll receive from God, in believing in the name and receiving His Son Jesus.
I know for myself as I read this chapter I was reminded by Joel’s words that it is indeed helpful for me ‘to forgive if I'll realize that the people who hurt me have problems. “Hurting people hurt others.”’
This is what I wrote concerning the above words. It’s Great to forgive. It’s Great to know you’re forgiven, but even greater, is to bestow Mercy and show Grace on those who do the hurting. They need prayer as well. They need to know the Power of Forgiveness. Ask God to bring healing, restoration and what they need to become an instrument of forgiveness for God’s glory. Amen.
Know that your value doesn’t go down because someone mistreated you. Many women fall victim to being devalued by a spouse who cheated on them, or left them for another. Many men have been devalued because a woman brought the pain of their precious relationship into their new relationship and it caused them to cheat on this man as they were cheated on. Many children are devalued by their parents falling out of love with one another and getting divorced leaving them visiting their parents on set days and times. As I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, I repeat Joel’s words to you, know that “your value doesn't go down because someone mistreated you.”
We may have been abandoned and discarded to the side, but know that God will take the place as Father to you. Protector for you. Provider to your needs. As the Word of God says, “Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up and [adopt me as His child.]” (Psalm 27:10 AMP)
My Takeaway:
This world is absolute in its hurt, pains, troubles and unfairness BUT God's love is Absolute in and through His Son the Lord Christ Jesus. Amen.
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