Emotional Safety Valve #2: Forgive - Day 104

Emotional Safety Valve #2: Forgive
Day 104

Forgiveness is getting your heart right with God by making the choice to forgive others and by receiving His forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean you are relieving someone of responsibility for his or her actions. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean you trust that person. Forgiveness is the act of letting God's love flow through you.

Think about the above definition for a moment.

Doug Easterday says, "You're not alleviating responsibility from anyone by forgiving them. You are transferring it to where it really belongs and that's with God. They will answer to God someday, but if you're requiring them to answer to you, then you have as big a problem as they do."

Forgiveness is obedience to God.

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sings against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:21-22).

Lord, it is only by Your power that I can forgive. Keep me from destroying myself with unforgiveness. Amen.

~ I am working on this. I have come to realize that holding on to the hurt is only keeping me from loving in the present and having a love in the future. I made a decision that all the hurt and bitterness that I have over the actions of another have got to get out of my heart and head. So, I have decided to give it to God. I know that I can't trust those people anymore, but at the same time, I can't expect that they will ever know what they did wrong or how wrong they were. Besides, there are three sides to every story, what you think happened, what the other person thinks happened and then finally what really happened. Let it go. Give it to God. Look, shake your head, and let it GO!