I have chosen the word forgiveness for this blog because forgiveness is something that we all need and something that we all must learn to do. Out of all the words we can discuss, this one may be one of the strongest and most powerful words we will encounter. We all have that inherit need to be accepted and liked by our fellow man. When we experience some degree of pain caused by our friends, neighbors and family we tend to hold ill feelings towards those that hurt us. This of course is a natural aspect of human nature, but it is not necessarily a normal recourse for us.
When someone has hurt us in some way the last thing that we as humans want to do is forgive them for what they have done. The natural reaction to these people would be to get revenge, hold a grudge, avoid them or feel sorry for ourselves. The problem with any of these is that if we continue to hold this hurt in and think about what has happened to us, in time, we will not only continue to be angry, we will more than likely become very bitter. Un-forgiveness can and will bring nothing but guilt, pain, and sorrow into our lives.
Lets examine this word for a moment and try and get its true meaning and why it carries such power over us. First look at the dictionaries definition of Forgive:
for·give (f
r-g
v
, fôr-)
v. for·gave (-g
v), for·giv·en (-gvn), for·giv·ing, for·gives
I have placed a couple more web sites that you can go for reference on forgiveness. Again take the time to look at them. Forgiving can and will be one of the most powerful acts you can do, not only to change your life, but possibly to change someone else's. Remember, Christ took all of your sins to the cross and removed them, you must first accept His forgiveness, then you must do the same by taking all your hurts and pain to the cross of Christ and leave them there. May God bless you richly and grant you His peace and comfort as you reach out and forgive others as He forgave you.
http://www.heavensinspirations.com/word-forgiveness.html
http://morechristlike.com/scriptures-on-forgiveness/
When someone has hurt us in some way the last thing that we as humans want to do is forgive them for what they have done. The natural reaction to these people would be to get revenge, hold a grudge, avoid them or feel sorry for ourselves. The problem with any of these is that if we continue to hold this hurt in and think about what has happened to us, in time, we will not only continue to be angry, we will more than likely become very bitter. Un-forgiveness can and will bring nothing but guilt, pain, and sorrow into our lives.
Lets examine this word for a moment and try and get its true meaning and why it carries such power over us. First look at the dictionaries definition of Forgive:
for·give (f
r-gv, fôr-)v. for·gave (-g
v), for·giv·en (-gvn), for·giv·ing, for·givesv.tr.
1. To excuse for a fault or an offense; pardon.
2. To renounce anger or resentment against.
3. To absolve from payment of (a debt, for example).
v.intr.
To accord forgiveness.
The basic's of forgiveness are to give up resentment, to grant relief from payment. I believe that forgiveness goes much, much deeper than a basic definition. Forgiveness goes to the very soul and spirit of man. To truly forgive someone the act has to go beyond just saying we forgive. It is easy to say I forgive you, and then walk away with still feeling the same resentment. This always shows up later when you hear about what happened to you and the anger, resentment and many other emotions are in your voice and in what you say. So when we say we forgive someone but the ill feelings are still lingering in us then we can't really say we have forgiven the offender. Forgiveness must go to the very heart of us humans, it has to be a total release of ourselves and a total letting go of the offense committed against us. Lets see what the scriptures have to say about forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14-15 is one of the most familiar scriptures to us. Simply stated, if we forgive, we will be forgiven, if we don't forgive the Heavenly Father will not forgive us.
Another scripture very familiar to us would be Matthew 18:21-22. This scripture gives us indication of how much or how often we must forgive. Basically, according to this verse we must continually forgive no matter how often the offender offends. Take the time to read these two scripture verses and see what God is saying to you. Here is a list of some other scriptures relating to forgiving, read them and let them soak into your heart. James 5:15, Luke 23:34, Colossians 3:12-13, John 1:9. There are many other scriptures throughout God's Word that we can draw from, but realize this, unless we are willing to forgive others we cannot be forgiven. I believe the reason for this comes from the very beginning when Adam and Eve where caught in sin. They rebelled against God by disobeying His word, but God made a way for them to return to Him. In other words, God forgave their actions and made it possible for us today to live in His presence again through Jesus Christ who said from the cross "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." With the ultimate price paid for our rebellion against God we can now live. We can live in peace knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we can freely forgive those that hurt us. Look at the link below to get a clearer understanding of the word "forgiveness."
http://www.allaboutgod.com/definition-for-forgiveness-
The results of not forgiving can be devastating. When we do not forgive we will hold resentment, anger and develop a deep rooted bitterness in our lives that robs us our joy and destroys any hope of peace within. You see, when we hold anger in and we resent those who hurt us we block out God's love for us and leave no room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Bitterness is a nasty taste in our mouths that is hard to swallow. Bitterness will cause us to be sour in our spirits and not allow joy to come forth. Bitterness will destroy any hope of peace in our lives. You may find yourself with bitterness from hurts of the past, and you may be holding a grudge against a loved one for hurt they caused you, but realize again, you cannot have the peace that God offers you until you reach a place in your life where you can forgive that person who hurt you. If you want the fullness of God's peace in your life, then search your heart and see if there is anyone you need to forgive and then do it.
It is your responsibility to forgive and it is not easy to do. In some cases it may take time to forgive because you have such anger and bitterness in your life, but you must begin the journey. Forgiveness is an unselfish act that you can perform but you must be willing to surrender your desires. You cannot have a right relationship with Christ if you have an un-forgiving spirit.
I would suggest that you deal with your anger and hostility by confessing it first to God, then if possible to those who hurt you. By doing this you will break free of your bondage or of being a slave to these. Ask God to forgive you completely. Know this though, there is NO conditional forgiveness. You cannot attach conditions to God forgiving you and you cannot attach conditions to those you are forgiving. Lay down your anger and bitterness at the feet of Christ by the act of your will (I choose) and let Him do the rest. The link below may help you to understand better the power of forgiving. Take the time to read this and take that which applies to you to heart.
faq.htmhttp://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2000/May/500-20.htm
Matthew 6:14-15 is one of the most familiar scriptures to us. Simply stated, if we forgive, we will be forgiven, if we don't forgive the Heavenly Father will not forgive us.
Another scripture very familiar to us would be Matthew 18:21-22. This scripture gives us indication of how much or how often we must forgive. Basically, according to this verse we must continually forgive no matter how often the offender offends. Take the time to read these two scripture verses and see what God is saying to you. Here is a list of some other scriptures relating to forgiving, read them and let them soak into your heart. James 5:15, Luke 23:34, Colossians 3:12-13, John 1:9. There are many other scriptures throughout God's Word that we can draw from, but realize this, unless we are willing to forgive others we cannot be forgiven. I believe the reason for this comes from the very beginning when Adam and Eve where caught in sin. They rebelled against God by disobeying His word, but God made a way for them to return to Him. In other words, God forgave their actions and made it possible for us today to live in His presence again through Jesus Christ who said from the cross "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." With the ultimate price paid for our rebellion against God we can now live. We can live in peace knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we can freely forgive those that hurt us. Look at the link below to get a clearer understanding of the word "forgiveness."
http://www.allaboutgod.com/definition-for-forgiveness-
The results of not forgiving can be devastating. When we do not forgive we will hold resentment, anger and develop a deep rooted bitterness in our lives that robs us our joy and destroys any hope of peace within. You see, when we hold anger in and we resent those who hurt us we block out God's love for us and leave no room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Bitterness is a nasty taste in our mouths that is hard to swallow. Bitterness will cause us to be sour in our spirits and not allow joy to come forth. Bitterness will destroy any hope of peace in our lives. You may find yourself with bitterness from hurts of the past, and you may be holding a grudge against a loved one for hurt they caused you, but realize again, you cannot have the peace that God offers you until you reach a place in your life where you can forgive that person who hurt you. If you want the fullness of God's peace in your life, then search your heart and see if there is anyone you need to forgive and then do it.
It is your responsibility to forgive and it is not easy to do. In some cases it may take time to forgive because you have such anger and bitterness in your life, but you must begin the journey. Forgiveness is an unselfish act that you can perform but you must be willing to surrender your desires. You cannot have a right relationship with Christ if you have an un-forgiving spirit.
I would suggest that you deal with your anger and hostility by confessing it first to God, then if possible to those who hurt you. By doing this you will break free of your bondage or of being a slave to these. Ask God to forgive you completely. Know this though, there is NO conditional forgiveness. You cannot attach conditions to God forgiving you and you cannot attach conditions to those you are forgiving. Lay down your anger and bitterness at the feet of Christ by the act of your will (I choose) and let Him do the rest. The link below may help you to understand better the power of forgiving. Take the time to read this and take that which applies to you to heart.
faq.htmhttp://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2000/May/500-20.htm
I have placed a couple more web sites that you can go for reference on forgiveness. Again take the time to look at them. Forgiving can and will be one of the most powerful acts you can do, not only to change your life, but possibly to change someone else's. Remember, Christ took all of your sins to the cross and removed them, you must first accept His forgiveness, then you must do the same by taking all your hurts and pain to the cross of Christ and leave them there. May God bless you richly and grant you His peace and comfort as you reach out and forgive others as He forgave you.
http://www.heavensinspirations.com/word-forgiveness.html
http://morechristlike.com/scriptures-on-forgiveness/
