Ephesians 4:32
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." NIV
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." KJV
When we have been wronged, especially by someone close to us, it is hard to just let it go. We have a tendency to hold on to the hurts and rehearse over and over in our minds the terrible things that were done to us. Each time we rehearse them, the hurts get deeper and deeper. The resentments get larger and larger. Soon there is a gulf so wide between us that we push the offender(s) out of our minds until we decide to rehearse the hurts again. Forgiving does not mean we no longer hurt. It does not mean no wrong was committed. Forgiveness means we let go of the resentment and cancel the wrong without insisting on action to make it right. This is a Godly act that shows the character of a true child of God. The Holy Spirit travels on the beam of forgiveness and the offended cannot help but sense the sweet fragrance of God, nor can the offender deny it.
Heavenly Father, how thankful we are for Your forgiveness to us when we were at a place in our lives where we couldn't have cared less. But You are faithful. We pray that You will bring us to the place that we can forgive those who have hurt us, betrayed us, wronged us. We trust that You will give us forgiving hearts, just as You have a heart of forgiveness for us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC
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Oh, if this were only as easy to do as it is to say!
ReplyDeleteGreat message---thank you.