Forgiven

In my newsletter this week I would like to ask a question - how long must a person pay for a sin that was committed-1 day, 5 years, how about a lifetime? As I was on vacation last week, I was thinking about this very question and thought how many times, have we failed to show grace to those who have sinned? How much time did we waste in pain and being angry that we refuse to let go of the offense and extend grace to the offender? People may say, well you do not know what happened or the extent it affected me or my family. This statement may be true, and I apologize that this has caused such pain. However, let me challenge you - how many times have we sinned against God and He has forgiven us? How many times have we broken His heart to the point He could have shunned us and left us-but He didn’t. Don’t lose sight that forgiveness is not really for the offender, it’s for us! In the book study called Freedom that I am teaching, it states: “we have the wrong idea of forgiveness. We need to learn what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not minimizing the offense, forgiveness is not forgetting what happened, forgiveness is not reconciliation (Romans 12:18).” “Forgiveness is a choice not a feeling and it is a choice we have to make daily. By holding on to the offense, we think we are trapping the person who hurt us, but in reality, we are the ones who are ensnared.” So how do we get past these feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal? As hard as it may be, we pray for our offender. We pray for our pain, we pray! By making the effort, our hearts will soften and in the process as we connect with Jesus, He will heal the areas of pain, He will bind up our wounds and restore us. In addition, Freedom also says - “Society tells us to return evil for evil. But Jesus said in order to have a different result, we have to respond differently.” I would be lying if I said it was always easy. Because it is not! However, during pain and time in prayer, transformation and growth generally happen in the heart. Similarly, strength typically increases because we relied on Jesus rather than ourselves to get us through the crisis. So will you consider letting go and releasing your offender, and let Jesus give you the peace that surpasses all understanding, then you can find the freedom that you so desperately need? I will leave you with this statement from the biblical scholar Spurgeon “If anyone here who is a Christian finds a difficulty in forgiveness, I am going to give him three words which will help him wonderfully. I would put them into the good man’s mouth. I gave them to you just now, and prayed you to get the sweetness of them; here they are again! ‘For Christ’s sake.’ Cannot you forgive an offender on that ground?”

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Chaplain Tracey Burns

Reflection Questions

⦁ Have you received forgiveness from God when you have wronged Him?

⦁ What is God telling you to set free?

⦁ Who do you need to forgive?

Bonus: Great song (if you are interested)- How did you feel when you were “Forgiven? “

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ZWEO36jok&ab_channel=CrowderVEVO