God forgives continuously; Jesus forgave His persecutors from the cross. But the wildcard is us; God won’t force us to turn to Him, to change. Without a change of heart, without repentance, God’s forgiveness doesn’t effect the purpose it intends: the justification of man, the restoration of justice to His universe. The father of the Prodigal waits for his son with open arms, as God the Father does for all of His wayward creation.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross:
Luke 23:32-35
32 Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. 33 When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,” they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.
34-35 Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”
I would also like to share with you a little of what I have learn’t about forgiveness from the TV psychologist Dr Phil’s book ‘life code’ and from many other places.
I believe a wise man once said
“Hating someone is like drinking a poison and expecting the other person to die.” and here is why -
I believe that If you feel hatred, anger or resentment, than you own those feelings and that is why there only is one thing worse than being hurt by someone and that is keeping that hurt alive, you have the ability to forgive those people who have mistreated you, not as a gift to them, but as a gift to yourself.
Forgiveness will set you free from pain others have caused you in your life, forgiveness will free you from the hatred anger or resentment that you choose to carry and I emphasise choose because I believe it is a choice to carry those feelings, something which I believe is unhealthy, as those feelings change who you are, your hatred, anger, and resentment are absolutely incompatible with your peace, joy, and relaxation.
To assume that you can turn your feelings of hate, anger or resentment on and off like a light switch is naïve, these feelings of bitterness and anger are such powerful influences that once they enter your heart, they are present in all of your relationships.
They truly do make you become a different person. Who you were goes away, and now you are defined by the hatred and bitterness. Ultimately, what makes these emotions so powerful is that they change who you are.
I believe There is something else you must consider: you cannot give away what you do not have.
You cannot give pure and accepting love from a pure and accepting heart if you have neither. That would mean giving away what you do not have. If the love in your heart is contaminated, if growing within it is the cancer of hatred, anger, and resentment, then that is the only love that you have to give.
If your heart has turned cold and hard because of hatred, anger, and resentment, then that is the heart from which all your emotions spring. That is the love and that is the heart that you have to offer your loved ones and fellow human beings. Hatred, anger, and resentment truly change who you are. They truly prevent you from being able to give to those you love that which you want them to have.
Many people say:
“I can’t forgive because they aren’t sorry and they don’t deserve or even want my forgiveness.” If that’s the standard, there are many people in this world who, clearly, will never be entitled to forgiveness, however you do not realise that forgiveness is all about you, it’s all about the gift of freeing yourself from such ugly emotions, you didn’t do the crime, so why do the additional time?
It’s about you saying *"I will not bond with you through hatred, anger, or resentment. I will not bond with you through fear. I will not allow you to drag me into your dark world. By forgiving you, I am releasing me, not you. You must live with yourself every day. You must live with the darkness in your heart. But I do not, and I will not, You are the one who commited the crime, I don’t have to continue to suffer for it and I refuse to, by forgiving you I am releasing myself from that emotional prison you have locked me in, you cannot misstreat me and than continue hurting me through those feelings of hatred, anger or resentment, I make that choice, not you.” *
Take the power back from those who have hurt you, they don’t have the right to hurt you and than continue hurting you through those emotions of hatred, anger or resentment.
The Choice is, and always has been, all yours. The power of forgiveness is the power to set yourself free from the bonds of hatred, anger, and resentment. Seize the power and rise above the pain. You are worth it, and everyone you love deserves it.
Please continue to next post -
