Forgiveness

On this wonderful Monday, I wanted to talk to you about forgiveness. When some hear these words, especially if they have been wronged by someone, they cringe in their spirits. Today I want you to know that you do not have to cringe anymore. Because God will forgive you for struggling to forgive others. God is not like man, yes, He is fierce like a mighty storm, but He is also gentle, tender, understanding and kind. God understands your pain, and He will quietly and gently teach you how to forgive. He will not strike you with cruel words, demanding that you forgive immediately, while your heart is steadily bleeding and dripping tears of hurt and grief. Jesus words are the truth in Matthew 6:9-15, but don't get into condemnation, if you are struggling to forgive immediately, talk to Jesus and share your heart with Him, and He will help you, I promise!

I shared in an earlier post that me and my siblings were raised in an abusive home, of course at the time we never talked about it with anyone outside of us siblings, we carried it around like a dirty pair of socks that we did not want anyone to see, and no one takes their shoes off in public with dirty socks on. Eventually I talked to some close friends of mine in High School. But I also remember a day when I dropped a hint to one of my teachers at school, and she responded, "Don't you every say anything like that about your parents," so as a child, my perspective became, adults protect each other and I never brought it to another adults attention.

I shared that for the purpose of helping you to understand, why I can sympathize with you as to why it is so hard for you to forgive, but I also want you to understand, that it is possible. Years ago, in the early 90's, I carried so much rejection, hurt, and grief in my heart because of my parents inability to see their wrong, apologize, or change their behavior. I removed myself from their home, but carried the emotions with me. I remember praying, and I asked God why He had allowed me and my siblings to suffer at my parents hands, why were we born into an unhealthy environment. God responded to me, "Look at your parents past, see what was done to them, stop looking at them as your parents, and start looking at them as spirits who were damaged as children too."

"He said, I never intended for your childhood to be what it was, I never intended for your father and mother to be who they became. The plan I had for you, your siblings, your mother, and your father was perfect. When the fall of man happened through Adam, and sin entered the world, it destroyed my original perfect plan for mankind, and presented each of you with choices to make, good or evil. Your mother and father struggled with good and evil, which is why, they gave you and your siblings good times, mixed with horrible times. From that moment, armed with the truth, armed with understanding, I found peace. I was able to forgive my parents, I no longer demanded that they should have been perfect, but understood that they allowed wickedness into their hearts.

Whose to blame? Their parents or whoever damaged them, NO, we all have choices to make, they made those choices. I could have continued to hate them, and eventually become them, but I choose to forgive them and pray for them to be healed. See I was a christian now, and although they were my parents in the flesh, I was older than them in the spirit. I became a "daddy's girl," oh how I love my Father in Heaven, and my natural father knew it. The verbal abuse that used to work on me as a child and adult stopped working, and I set boundaries, and he became less verbally abusive when we talked, my father even talked with me about God and his relationship with God. If he deviated and tried to become manipulative or cruel, I politely ended the conversation. My father lived as a very wicked man, and I always had to pray before talking to him, others may not have seen his true nature, but his family did.

That is one of my stories on forgiveness, I have had to humble myself to forgive others many times. I'm sure you have or had your own stories of people you have or even now, need to forgive. Understand this, forgiving others empowers you! I have learned the power of forgiveness, and satan knows it as well, which is why he works to keep you angry, because while you are angry, he is steadily robbing you. Stealing your peace, stealing relationships, stealing your time, stealing your future. One thing that helps me to forgive others is the knowledge that I have hurt others as well, I have made mistakes, I have said things that I would like to take back, as we all have done in one way or another. So why would I be a hypocrite, and want forgiveness, but not give it.

I will honestly say, I have no human enemies, I have one enemy, satan. Does he use people to attack me, yes, but I know that they are not my enemies. Someone may see me as their enemy, but I will not return the hatred, because it only serves one person's benefit, satan. Satan has lulled so many people to sleep, while he manipulates their thoughts and emotions to destroy relationships, and bring division in families and the church, but everyone is not sleep, their are many who are praying and interceding for others and themselves. Forgiveness requires humility, and as you forgive, it may hurt emotionally. All of your emotions are saying this person does not deserve it, but guess what, neither do we deserve it when someone forgives us. Life is a big circle, and as soon as you learn to humble yourself, and operate in the art of forgiveness, it is then that you will receive peace like you have never known before.

Be blessed my friend, and if you are in the process of learning to forgive, do not allow anyone to demean you or persecute you because you are working through your process. Forgiveness is a powerful tool, and when you learn to use it, to master the art of forgiveness, your life, joy and peace will be forever changed! Forgiveness may not happen the same way for everyone, but I pray that one day you will find the courage and the heart to forgive those who have harmed you. Always know that you are loved by God, and you matter!

For those who may be the offender, it is o.k. to forgive yourself, you made wrong choices, and wrong decisions; you may have caused immeasurable damage to others, but God loves you. Yes, God loves you! God is not like man, He does not love like men, 'a person may love you today, but tomorrow, not so much;' God will always love you despite your mistakes. You have to receive/accept God's love for you in order to receive His forgiveness. God's forgiveness does not mean their will not be any repercussions for what you did, but it does mean that God will give you another chance to be and do better! That is the grace of God.

Matthew 6:9-15 (NKJV): "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one, For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen." "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

John 20:19-23 (NKJV): Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV): "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying; "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

By Alva Williams

01/25/2021