How difficult is it to say 'I forgive you'?
https://37bloggers.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-difficult-is-it-to-say-i-forgive-you.html
Let's discuss
How difficult is it to say 'I forgive you'?
For a while I believed one of the most difficult things God has asked us to do is 'to forgive and forget.'
For a while I believed one of the most difficult things God has asked us to do is 'to forgive and forget.'
Forgiveness
sounded like the easiest part of this request, but to forgetting was
more difficult! I would refer to things people did to me as far back as
five or even 10 years and still believe that I have forgiven the
individual involved.
Sometimes I would tell myself
and the person involved that I have forgiven them only to start planing
a revenge strategy in my head. [I am sure this happens to most of us]
That kept happening till the day I had a discussion with a friend who told me that if truly I respect the commandments 'Love God' and 'Love your neighbour' that 'forgiving' and 'forgetting' would not be a problem.
"All it requires is love Yinka," she said. That statement stuck with me. She emphasised on the importance of communication when on a journey to forgiveness.
From that day on, I tried her strategy to forgiveness, which works well for me.
This quote by Alexander Pope also explains forgiveness "To err is human, to forgive divine." Everyone sins but God forgives us when then do we find it difficult to forgive?
Discussing
with friends yesterday, some stated that forgiveness is not an easy
task, and that depending on the degree of hurt, it takes time to
forgive.
But really should forgiveness take time?
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No
direct answer to this because we are wired differently, which means we
would most likely take different routes to forgiveness. But remember we
sin, take it to God in prayer, and he forgives us immediately. So why
should we hold a grudge for months?
When asked if
it was possible to forget, they all argued that it was impossible to
forget. But is it really impossible to forget?
I
think the word 'forgetting' is misunderstood. Forgetting does not
necessarily mean 'not remembering', in this context it means not judging
based on past events, it means not making reference to past events, it
means loving the offender without limitations.
Imagine,
we all are sinners, but we go back to God in prayer, he doesn't judge
us based on our past, he never reminds us of the bad things we might
have done, but he assures us of our future.
Bible verses that will help you on your journey to forgiving and forgetting.
1. When you forgive, learn to forget.
Isaiah 43:25
"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."
2. Once we forgive, we are also forgiven
Matthew 6:14
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
3. Jesus forgave his persecutors
Isaiah 53:5
"But
he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his
wounds we are healed."
4. He forgave us.
Acts 10:42-43
"He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one
whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets
testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name."
5. Once you forgive, you find redemption.
Ephesians 1:7-10
"In
him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With
all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his
will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be
put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment — to bring unity
to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."
With this thoughts of mine shared, I hope you find a strategy to forgiveness that works for you.