Forgiveness

I am thankful for forgiveness. I still struggle with this sometimes. I think everyone does. I am thankful that the Father forgave my sins. I need to forgive others too! This doesn't mean that I am perfect, because I am most certainly am not. I know that there are days that I do or say something that doesn't line up with God's Word and I know that if I come to Him with a repentant heart that He will forgive me. Not only will He forgive me, but He will no longer remember it!

Isn't that amazing! God's grace is so awesome! We don't have to live in that guilt and the sin. We are FREE! We don't have to live in the guilt either. I love knowing that we have a forgiving and loving God. He wants me to forgive others just as He has forgiven me. In the Lord's prayer we see that He put that in there..."And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go og the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors...". We are suppose to forgive others before we go into His presence and ask for forgiveness for our own sins, mistakes, or down fallings.

I have a few friends whose parents are divorced, my parents are divorced as well. Sometimes hurt and resentment can set up camp very easily. It may be because of how a parent or a step parent has treated you. It could be because you felt abanded by a parent, or not loved enough, or not even seen. Whatever the case may be we have to learn to forgive our parents. We can't move forward with God without forgiving them. We need to have the wholeness, healing, and full restoration that God wants us to experience. If we hold on to these things that bind us then we don't allow Him to "clean house", nor can you fully accept His love for you. I am learning, now that I am a parent, that no parent is perfect. No parent does everything right. Even if they were perfect, then how could you love up to their standards? We have to forgive our parents.  (This includes everyone not just parents.)

I kind wish that He could give us the ability to forgive and forget that it ever happened. Because I believe that some of us live their too! We have forgiven someone but there is no way that I am ever going to get that close again. We become guarded and then we don't truly heal because that is a wall that we refuse to let God take down.

I have heard it said that forgiveness is not just for the one needing the forgiving, it's for you too! When you hold onto that unforgivess and resentment it can make you sick. I have known people that hang on to grudges and resentment and refuse to let them go. They are very sick people and they don't know why they can't get better. I don't want to give someone that much power over me. Why would I do that? I want to be able to forgive and let it go. Don't allow it to have power over you.

I am thankful that I am forgiven and that I have the ability to forgive others. I have the gift to share the grace of God because of His forgiveness Thank you not making me jump through hoops or wait for years to be forgiven. I know that when I ask it's done right then and there. Help me to forgive others and not to harbor resentment.