To forgive is to heal thyself. Lord, make me a channel for thy peace; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.
In the St. Francis prayer; “Lord, make me a channel for thy peace; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.” Learning to forgive begins with understanding what God says about forgiveness in the Bible.
Forgiving is liberating, and a person will never know real freedom until they have learned to forgive. Some people will not understand the liberating power of forgiveness until they come to a crossroad in their life and discover that for it is in forgiving that one is forgiven.
Some people are unable or unwilling to admit to a wrong that they have committed. Today, some people are trapped in the jails they have built. Unable to admit to themselves what they did, they are unable to admit to others. Unable to forgive themselves, these people are unable to say they are sorry. Unable to rationalize what they did, they remain stuck in a state of denial. Forgiving is one of the few moral concepts that corrupted people are concerned about.
Jesus Christ said we are supposed to forgive others from our heart (Mat 18:35). Forgiveness and freedom go hand in hand. The more a person forgives, the less of the past that person will need to drag along with them, into the present.
It is said that forgiving is good for the soul. Some things are unforgivable. How can someone forgive the unforgivable? God says to forgive and love. God does not tell someone that they have to like that person. Does a person have to condone what another person did to them? No way! A person would never want to condone anybody who has dishonestly taken part of someone life's work for themselves for their own greedy, self-centered, selfish purpose, not for any reason!
So how can someone forgive the unforgivable? I do not know the answer to that question, but to NOT forgive; that person will end up having it eat away at their soul. I have forgiven the unforgivable (trying hard) but that does not mean that I will ever like that person or have forgotten what he did. The forgiveness is for me so I can move on, not for HIM.
Forgiving is Divine but forgetting is something else; I found out later in life that was NOT true. To forgive is good, a necessity. It heals the body, soul, mind and spirit. It is important to remember though, that “forgiving” and “condoning” does not at all need to go hand in hand. Forgiveness is a selfish act. The more you forgive, the happier you will become. A wise man once said: "Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past."
Everything is forgivable. The Lord says forgive everyone for everything! God forgives us for every wrong thing we have ever done, no matter how terrible, if we ask him to forgive us. Why then should I deny others the same forgiveness that God has shown to me? Yes, for me as a human being, it is definitely harder and can seem impossible at times, but with God's help I can forgive even that which does not deserve to be forgiven.
In Christianity, even God does not forgive one who is unrepentant. Forgiveness is not an entitlement; it needs to be earned. What happens to that person who is supposed to be forgiven on judgment day?
Look for my many articles on the Internet under James Murray Author for more information or jjmurray007@yahoo.com.
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