This past weekend, I did some Spring cleaning for soul and I mean DEEP cleaning. You know that grime and spiderwebs in the very back corner of your closet that no one ever sees, so you just close the door and go about your business. Well, I've been there. Except this time, I decided to stop. open that door one more time and ask God to help me wash it clean. My spiderwebs and grime is called Ultimate FORGIVENESS. I may have just invented a new word. What is Ultimate Forgiveness? Forgiveness is forgiveness, Right? That's what I thought until I had a reality check. After listening to our wonderful and very wise Pastor Steve, I thought I was doing good with forgiveness. I forgave my family, friends, and acquaintances for the big and small things. I've grown up thinking that you are to love everyone, but not necessarily like them.
For the past several Sundays, we've been dissecting The Lord's Prayer. It reads as follows:
"Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." Luke 11:2-4
How many times have we prayed this prayer? I learned and memorized this prayer when I was a little girl. I always thought I completely understood what it meant that is until last weekend. Bro. Steve opened my eyes. He said you know that you still have unforgiveness in your heart if you can't look at a specific person in the eyes without thinking about the bad things that person did or said to you years ago. My excuse about God says I have to love them, but I don't have to like them is no where in the Bible. To like someone is to love them first of all. So how can you love someone without liking them? You can't! Like my daughter would say, "that's no fair." It's true, we are to forgive EVERYONE. I did this very thing. I dug back years and years ago. I found, this group of people that hurt me. I thought I forgave them, but I kept it in the back of my mind. Even though the hurt happened years and years ago, I thought time would heal old wounds. This group of people are friends of my family and my hurt happened years before they became friends of my family members. The only one that's still hurt and feels awkward is me. Like Bro. Steve said I'm nice to them, but I can't look at them in the eyes without the old feelings coming back up. These people moved on and I haven't. What's wrong with this picture? It's God working in me and telling me to ultimately forgive them and LET IT GO. Today, I'm happy to say that I am free.
Dig deep and in the past to see if there is anyone that has wronged you and really let it go, so God can continue His relationship with you in your life. It will be one of the best things that's happened to you.
Ultimately Forgive today!
1 comment:
Wow what an inspirational post! Thanks for writing it. I have a saying too its I'll forgive but I won't forget.. I do try to forget but that soul searching doesn't seem to come naturally. It's hard to forgive but even harder to really forget and let go of the hurt. So thanks for posting. It's nice to hear someone else's perspective too.
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