Forgive, For You

Forgiveness releases and covers us.

There are four key things that I've learned about forgiveness, that allowed me to gain true, lasting freedom from painful offenses.

One day, the Holy Spirit revealed a specific, painful offense from a close loved one. This particular action felt like a hit and run. I felt as though it came out of nowhere, the offender was unrepentant and completely unaware of the damage done. I saw myself lying in the street, bleeding profusely.

One of the first things we are told to do, when treating a wounded pedestrian, is not to move them. They may have internal injuries and if moved, it could make them worse. I felt the Holy Spirit say, "With an offense like this, if you try to get up and chase the driver down, you will bleed out. If you lie there and get no help, you can also bleed out. When we are "hit" this badly, we need outside help. Forgiveness is a divine strength that comes straight from God and it is the only way to truly heal.

After we are hit, our focus needs to turn to something bigger than ourselves, or we may never recover.

1. Forgiveness doesn't lie. True forgiveness is not lying or minimizing the offense. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" Isaiah 5:20. There is no darkness in God (1 John 1:5) and Jesus, Himself, is light. To pretend we have not been wounded is not Godly. Also, no one wants a doctor in the emergency room to scan us lightly and not do a thorough check of our injuries. We need a good, thorough assessment of how we've been hurt so we can pursue the appropriate course of treatment.

2. Forgiveness is not en event. When asked how many times we should forgive someone, Jesus replied " Seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22). Not just one time. Each time the painful thoughts came, I had to make a conscious decision to forgive. It was an ongoing, sometimes moment by moment process; I had to practice it. Speak it. Write it. I got better and better at it, til it became my "default" response.

3. Forgiveness is cancellation of a debt. When I forgive someone, I am releasing them of the debt to pay me back. I take full responsibility for my recovery. I do not leave my healing in their hands. Going after the driver who hit me, will not help me because he is not qualified. Only God can restore us (Joel 2:25). This is an invaluable truth because many times, our offender is not even around anymore. Also, I have learned that even when an offender is sorry, they cannot remove our pain. Only God can do that. When I cancel their debt to make it better, I am choosing to focus my attention on the only One who actually can heal me.

4. Forgiveness is protection. Matthew 6:14-15 tells us if we don't forgive, we don't get forgiven. When I first read this, I felt stuck and angry; like it wasn't fair and it seemed like a punishment to me. Jesus said that if we say we love Him, but don't love others, we don't really love Him (1 John 4:20). It is a loving thing to put a human being in their place and keep God in His. Forgiving others protects me from having my own actions held against me. Reconciliation is the very nature of God. Their forgiveness is my forgiveness. It is empowers me and frees my mind to dwell on life and not repetitive, painful thoughts.

Forgiveness sets me free.

These four truths changed my life. I now know, forgiveness doesn't make me a doormat for abuse. Meekness is not weakness. There was nothing weak about Jesus. It sets me free. It protects me. It heals.

May the Holy Spirit give you the strength to apply true biblical forgiveness, so you will heal from the "hit-and-runs" of life and be free.

All rights reserved Veronica Jimenez, Sound Mind Awareness ©2014.