Forgiveness is...

A wise man said, "Forgiveness is not saying that what they did is okay or somehow tolerable."  You know how we somehow think that we are the weaker if we ask for forgiveness first.  This is a wrong assumption.  When you ask for forgiveness first or try to make the first move it means that you value the relationship more than the other person.

Somehow, we think that offering forgiveness is accepting what the person did. That's wrong too.

Forgiveness is deciding to turn it over to a higher court.  It's giving the hurt, the situation to the true judge.  "He said vengeance is mine, I will repay." (ref. Heb. 10:30)

This might seem powerless at first but trust me, I have seen the hurt that unforgiveness has caused people.  In Mathew 18 we read about the unjust servant who would not extend forgiveness to someone who owed him a little bit of money and yet he had been forgiven a lifetime's earnings.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”  (Mat. 18:32-35)


We can see how important it is for us to walk in forgiveness by Jesus' response to the servant.  He got handed over to the jailers to be tortured.  Hopefully, he woke up and remembered the power of the blood of Jesus and repented!  This is serious stuff!  As a ministry worker,  most of the time we have to deal with unforgiveness when we pray for people.  It's the number one reason why Christians don't receive healing.

That's something to think about.  How long do you want to have those headaches or arthritis for?  How long do you want to suffer with fibro mialgia?     Let the wake up bells ring loud and clear and let's make haste to forgive all the people we think we have a right to hold offense against.

That's the fastest way to walk in divine healing.   Let's say it together, "Father, please forgive them.  They know not what they do."

Thank You Lord that it's only by your grace and mercy that I am not doing ten times worse things than what they've done.
Thank You Lord that your love is poured out into our hearts by Holy Spirit.

Thank You Lord for the mercy and grace you have shown me in us in our lives.  Thank You Lord that your love never fails.  Thank you Lord that we choose to bless all the people that have hurt us.  Don't let the devil win in anybody's life!  Let us be your vessels of love and mercy to a hurting world, in Jesus' name we ask. Amen!

Now you're on the right track.  We walk by faith and not by feelings.  If you keep speaking the truth long enough eventually your feelings will change and line up with the Kingdom of God.  That's reason to shout!  Hallelujah!

Bless you real good!
Brenda Gale Thompson

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