“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 NLT
Truly forgiving someone for a wrong they’ve done to you is one of the hardest things you may face in your life. I’m not talking about just saying to the person I forgive you but inside you still hold contempt and anger for that person. No, I’m talking about truly forgiving someone to the point where the slate is wiped clean and you give them a new beginning with you. At some point in your life, you will be faced with a situation where you are called to do this exact thing. Will you be able to do it?
As I’ve spoken about many times before, in our normal human state where we rely purely on our emotions and our thoughts, this would be an impossible task. Your emotions tell you that you have every right to stay angry at this person and to hold a grudge. What they did to you was wrong and they need to pay for it. While indeed what they did may have been very wrong, the truth of the matter is by holding onto the anger and bitterness you are hurting yourself more than them.
You are called upon to love others and you can’t do that while you still hold this anger inside of you. It will limit you in receiving all the blessings God has in store for you. It will keep you from moving forward in your relationships with others because that anger will be a constant presence. It will slowly eat away at your spirit because it goes against who you are truly called to be.
At the end of the day it falls back to what Colossians 3:13 states, “Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Your slate was wiped clean and you were given a new beginning with God. The sins of the past are no longer a concern to Him. He has freed you from that so you can grow into the person you are meant to be. Release the anger you’ve been holding inside and truly forgive those who have harmed or offended you in some way.
Truly forgiving them is not just a release for them but more importantly it’s a release for you. It allows you to be free. It allows you to truly love others again. It allows you to grow into the person God calls you to be. It allows you to live the blessed life God has for you!
Truth In Love! ~ Chuck
www.yourlifetowin.com