Sipping my tea with you...I'd like to talk with you about something that for some maybe makes you uncomfortable or wince a little...I want to talk with you about.......Forgiveness.
Many of us are familiar with reading or hearing things like, "Forgive others because that sets you free." "You need to forgive others so that God will hear your prayers and forgive you." (Mark 11:25) These things are familiar to us right?
To forgive someone who has deeply hurt you emotionally, physically, or mentally is extremely difficult. We can't do it on our own. I am not going to spend time here detailing various abusive situations that need forgiveness. To be able to forgive someone, you need to have a heart to heart with Father. Pour out your heart, mind, and soul to Him. Search the scriptures. Father is there for you to lean on, cry on...He has BIG shoulders and He is your amazingly wonderfully caring and compassionate Daddy. He loves you like no one ever has! He wants the best for you as only He can. I encourage you to go to Him and ask Him for His help in forgiving that one who hurt you so deeply.
I want to focus on something regarding forgiveness but not delving into details of deep wounds (you and God can gt into those details if you need to forgive a deep wound). Some of you need to forgive others simply for the way they treat you. Maybe whatever it was that happened has driven a wedge between you an another...it dug at that tender spot in your heart. Or whatever you need to forgive of someone is something they have done against you...lied about you...slandered your name...nothing truly extremely abusive but they have offended you and there is hurt there...an emotional wound.
So, we know we need to forgive that person. Jesus told us to forgive others as our Father in heaven forgives us. Did you know that you have a responsibility AFTER you forgive?
Check this out:
Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.....so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.~2 Corinthians 2:5,7
Paul had not been with those in Corinth (to forgive anyone) but he was telling them that if someone caused THEM pain, they are to forgive the person. Did you read that next part? "and comfort him". What?!?!? We not only are supposed to forgive the one who hurt us, wronged us...but we are to comfort that person?
Think about this...we, the Jesus follower, once hurt Jesus...wronged Jesus...with our attitudes and actions. In order to become a Jesus follower, we needed to ask His forgiveness. He forgave us for all that we did against Him. Was that easy? No! He went to the cross for us! He bled in agony with nails in His hands and feet and a nasty crown of thorns pressed down on His head. He sacrificially forgave us.
Jesus forgave...then He comforted. He rose from the dead...to walk out...to tell us that He would be with us always and that He was sending His Spirit to be with us...to comfort us. After all the things we did to Him...took Him to that cross....He forgave and comforted!
Jesus follower, you are to be like Christ. Forgive! Comfort! After you have had the help of Jesus to forgive the offender, ask Jesus how it is He wants you to comfort that person. Maybe it's simply to smile at them whenever you see them. Maybe it is to do some sort of an act of kindness. Maybe send them an encouraging note. Ask Jesus, He is the Comforter of ALL comforters! He will guide you.
I urge you, to take to heart that passage in 2 Corinthians...forgive and comfort! When you obey Father in doing this, you will be changed! Your communication (prayers) with Father will be more heart felt and you will hear Him more clearly. Your heart, soul, and mind will have real Joy. You will have an amazing Freedom!
Forgive! Comfort!
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