How Can YOU Forgive What Was Done To YOU?

[WISDOM]

Hello to all my lovely bros/sis at WorthyBoard! Recently I took a long look at myself after listening to one of Joyce Meyer's tapes. She was discussing the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Let me tell you.....it was truly a "gut wrenching" lesson and made me squirm in my car seat (as the driver, not the baby..hee hee)!

Sometimes our FATHER can speak so clearly to you and I through another person that you almost have to step back a moment, and check YOURSELF out (Could this be me?). I came to one conclusion after listening to it.....it "simmered" my spiritual thoughts. You see...there are some individuals in my life who have hurt me and I DON'T want to forgive them. Sad...but true. Why?? Simply because it feels good NOT to like them! I cannot be anymore honest than that. But the HOLY SPIRIT had many questions abounding in my thoughts. HE's been making it clear to me that I have to forgive them in order to receive my FATHER's forgiveness (shucks).

I keep saying, "But I don't want to! I'm still bitter!! Why should I?" Then I get ticked off because HE still wants me to forgive them! Talk about having the spirit of Jonah in me!! These are questions I'm sure many of you suffer from as Christians. There are many of you who have been hurt VERY badly by ruthless people, as well as FELLOW BELIEVERS. Listen......we hurt ourselves DEEPER when we DON'T forgive. We commit the crime to ourselves OVER and OVER again nursing and rehashing our wounds. The MORE we relive it in our minds and deepen the grudge against our oppressor....the MORE like POISON it routes into our hearts. Like a cancer it will eventually and slowly "kill" our testimony daily. We become "walking three dollar bills". YOU must let go of the wounds, and allow CHRIST to heal them. JESUS said how could HE forgive us, if we don't forgive those who sin against us??

All too often we forget we would NEVER have known GOD had HE not said to us, "I will forgive your iniquities." When our FATHER pardons, HE consigns the offense to everlasting forgetfulness (as far as the east is from the west the Psalmist says). You and I, who are daily in need of HIS forgiveness ought to make it our first duty to forgive. Believe me, never does the human soul appear so strong as when it dares to forgive an injury. Often times if you don't learn to develop a forgiving heart, you break the same bridge you have to cross in coming to the LORD for similar reasons. It becomes impudent to ask of our FATHER forgiveness on your behalf, if YOU refuse to exercise the forgiving temper with respect to others.

Don't be like some who set the offender before the "blowpipe" of their indignation, and when they have scorched him enough they forgive him/her!! I call that a kind of hedgehog forgiveness, shot out at a person like sharp quills!! Bottom line.....we MUST give our offenses to CHRIST! I know.....I know....sometimes it can be tough. But we have to. We've been commanded to do so. JESUS took the "vengence" for your/my offenders! OOPS....forgot ALL...not some, but ALL sin was (past tense) nailed (operative word) to the Cross of Calvary!!

You see, they have deserved to be whipped and beatened for the perceived "crimes" they committed against YOU and I. And I would love to see it done....however, SOMEONE loved them enough to JUSTIFY them by being BEATEN and WHIPPED and even KILLED in their place. Hmmmmmm.......HE shed HIS Blood so that they (could that be YOU and I also??) can be (present tense) FORGIVEN. So when we don't forgive we DISGRACE the Cross of Calvary, saying "JESUS.....YOUR life and death and shed blood WAS NOT ENOUGH to wash THAT SIN AWAY!!"

If it could not wash away the sins of those that sin against you and I, how can we expect it to wash away OUR sins, when we sin against our FATHER and HIS Word?? The Blood of JESUS shed was enough to eradicate any and every sin NO MATTER WHAT the person did, and how BAD it was. We must look at those individuals no matter how tough it is to do so in our mind's eye and say, "FORGIVEN!! Your sins are forgiven and you are justified through the blood of JESUS CHRIST."

I've been through a lot in my life. I've been hurt and offended by people, some enemies, some family.......some VERY close friends and associates. Some hurts were deep.....some VERY deep, but it wasn't until I'd begun to learn how to forgive and release that anger/bitterness/hatred (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life) that I began to forgive myself. I have started to experience a new revelation of my redemption. ALL my mistakes and failures are no longer remembered by our FATHER, and I realize the fullness of what it means to be redeemed.

No longer could Satan accuse me to my face saying, "WIS.....you're this and you're that!! CHRIST is mad at you!! You'll NEVER amount to anything!!!" All you or I have to tell "him" now is this....."The Blood of JESUS has REDEEMED me, REGARDLESS of what you say or do to me physically or mentally. You (Satan) are a LIAR. Be silenced and leave my presence NOW!!" Believe me, there comes a new realm of authority when YOU realize you are a REDEEMED CHILD of the CREATOR.

What YOU possess in this world will go to someone else when you die, but what YOU ARE will be yours forever. It's not worth the anger/hatred you store up. YOU are a Christian. YOU are HIS child. HE is far more concerned about what you are than what you do. Remember...when you receive scars for HIM here, you will receive stars from HIM in Heaven!

[traveller]

Ah Brother! Such wisdom! (pun intended! )

Too often I think we forget how vital forgiveness is. Bitterness grabs ahold of us and chokes the life out of us. It's a slow but steady process. If we choose to not forgive, then our hearts harden and over time, we die. I say choose because to forgive is a choice we make. I think it (to not forgive) is the biggest error we can make.

SOOOO GOOD to see you here in this place Brother!! (you just made my day! )

[Guest Bride of Christ]

Greetings in Christ! I can relate big time to this thread....two people in my life have done some really bad things to me:

My dad: he was a very abusive, alcoholic from the time I could remember all the way up until I was 15 or so. Even after the physical abuse stopped at 15, the belittling and name calling continued regularly until I graduated high school and left home. I ended up hated my dad....and hate is a VERY strong word for me to use here, but I did. I wasn't saved when I had thought I had forgiven him....but I'd still get really mad at him and remember all the things he used to do.....it wasn't until I got saved and the Lord began dealing with me on it that I truly forgave him. It took awhile, but it got done and our relationship is restored to the way it should have been for the most part.

My first boyfriend: My, my, my....after what I had went through with my dad when this dude started up with the same kinds of behavior, plus some....it did a lot to me. All that he had done to me....it was REALLY, REALLY hard to forgive him.

It had even affected my marriage to some points....the aftermath of this abusive boyfriend, that is....

I thank the Lord for giving me a patient, loving husband during this time....I know it was hard on him....and we prayed a lot over this thing. Finally, with the Lords help....I can now say that I have forgiven him.....and pray that the Lord would save his soul.

Forgiving isn't always easy....but it's something that needs to be done. If you have a grudge or are mad at someone....your prayers are hindered.....it's not easy, but the Lord can guide you to forgiveness....

Blessings...

[WISDOM]

Ah Brother! Such wisdom! (pun intended! )

Too often I think we forget how vital forgiveness is. Bitterness grabs ahold of us and chokes the life out of us. It's a slow but steady process. If we choose to not forgive, then our hearts harden and over time, we die. I say choose because to forgive is a choice we make. I think it (to not forgive) is the biggest error we can make.

SOOOO GOOD to see you here in this place Brother!! (you just made my day! )

Hey Sis!!! Surprise, surprise...*big smile*

Too often it (bitterness) does. We sometimes allow ourselves to become "turtle-shell Christians"....that's how hard our hearts become. Forgiveness is a must, if you and I profess to be children of the Most High.

SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD to be back a bit... (email me at home). Miss all you guys/gals!

[WISDOM]

Greetings in Christ! I can relate big time to this thread....two people in my life have done some really bad things to me:

My dad: he was a very abusive, alcoholic from the time I could remember all the way up until I was 15 or so. Even after the physical abuse stopped at 15, the belittling and name calling continued regularly until I graduated high school and left home. I ended up hated my dad....and hate is a VERY strong word for me to use here, but I did. I wasn't saved when I had thought I had forgiven him....but I'd still get really mad at him and remember all the things he used to do.....it wasn't until I got saved and the Lord began dealing with me on it that I truly forgave him. It took awhile, but it got done and our relationship is restored to the way it should have been for the most part.

My first boyfriend: My, my, my....after what I had went through with my dad when this dude started up with the same kinds of behavior, plus some....it did a lot to me. All that he had done to me....it was REALLY, REALLY hard to forgive him.

It had even affected my marriage to some points....the aftermath of this abusive boyfriend, that is....

I thank the Lord for giving me a patient, loving husband during this time....I know it was hard on him....and we prayed a lot over this thing. Finally, with the Lords help....I can now say that I have forgiven him.....and pray that the Lord would save his soul.

Forgiving isn't always easy....but it's something that needs to be done. If you have a grudge or are mad at someone....your prayers are hindered.....it's not easy, but the Lord can guide you to forgiveness....

Blessings...

BoC:

It was so nice reading your post. I was extremely glad to see the reconciliation on the part of you and your Dad. I know the pain you went through....so did I.

The beauty of it all is when you lift those individuals (your Dad and ex-boyfriend) up in prayer, you've done your part. In the process you also lift a heavy burden off yourself! Our FATHER is in the healing business, and always does it in a way you and I least expect!

Stay faithful, and remember.....whoever our FATHER would greatly exalt, HE first humbles. You (and your husband) are on the right track!

Our GOD is an AWESOME GOD!