‘…forgiving one another…even as Christ forgave you…’ Colossians 3:13 NKJV
The greatest power you have over anyone who hurts you is the power of forgiveness. When you say, ‘I forgive, and no longer hold it against you’, both sides are set free from the negative bond that exists between you. But there’s more: we also free ourselves from the burden of being the ‘offended one’. As long as we don’t forgive those who’ve wounded us we take them with us, or worse, carry them like an albatross around our neck. One of our great temptations is to cling in anger to our enemies, then define ourselves as being wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, not only liberates the other party, but it also liberates us! It’s the way to true freedom. Now, forgiving doesn’t always mean forgetting. Though we forgive somebody, the memory of what they did might stay with us a long time. We can carry it in our emotions as a scar, or even in our bodies as a physical sign. But forgiveness changes how we remember. It turns the curse into a blessing. When we forgive our parents for their divorce, our children for their lack of love, our friends for their unfaithfulness in times of need, our counsellors for their bad advice, or our boss for treating us unfairly, we no longer have to experience ourselves as the victims of events over which we have no control. Forgiveness allows us to take back our power and not let the events embitter, limit or destroy us. Is there someone you need to forgive?
SoulFood: Ezek 24:1-27:24, Luke 20:1-8, Ps 20, Pr 19:24-29
