Forgiveness

Let It Go: The Freedom Found in Forgiveness

/ Terrence Burton / Leave a comment

Forgiveness might be one of the hardest things God ever asks us to do. Because when somebody hurts you — really hurts you — everything in your flesh wants to hold on to it. To keep score. To make sure they know what they did and that you haven’t forgotten.

But unforgiveness is a prison. And the worst part? You’re the one locked inside it.

Ephesians 4:31-32 cuts straight to it — “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Just as God forgave you. That’s the standard. And if you sit with that for a moment, it’s both convicting and liberating at the same time.

Here’s what forgiveness is not — it’s not saying what they did was okay. It’s not pretending the hurt never happened. It’s not even necessarily trusting that person again. Forgiveness is releasing your right to be the judge. It’s handing the situation over to God and saying — I trust You to handle this better than I ever could.

Bitterness is heavy. It poisons everything it touches — your joy, your peace, your relationships, your walk with God. You can’t move forward dragging all that weight behind you.

Joseph had every human reason to be bitter. His brothers threw him in a pit, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father about it for years. But when the moment of reckoning came, Joseph didn’t reach for revenge. He said what his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good.

That’s the power of forgiveness. It reframes your story.

Somebody hurt you. That’s real. But don’t let what they did determine where you end up. Let it go. Not for them — for you.

Freedom is on the other side of forgiveness.

-Terrence Burton

DEVILISH DEVICES: UNFORGIVENESS

/ Terrence Burton / Leave a comment

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2 Cor. 2:11

Your adversary wants to be at an advantage over you. Surprised? Right? I’m sure you’re not surprised that he wants the advantage over you, but you may not be aware of how he will get it. This verse is part of a letter wherein Paul is telling the church to forgive and love “if any have caused grief.” Paul tells them to prove or confirm their love for the one(s) who did them wrong.

You see, when someone fails another and causes them grief, in particular a repentant person, there’s a tendency to feel unloved or unwanted. Paul recommended that the church at Corinth confirm their love for the one who wronged them. I know it seems it should be the other way around, but it’s not. It is the responsibility of the offended person to show love to the offender. This is to be done for one reason, you do not want to give the devil the advantage over you or your brother for that matter.

Many people think the chief device the devil uses is people doing things against you, and I admit that is indeed harmful. But have you considered that this may not be the enemy’s endgame? What the enemy is truly after is your unwillingness to forgive. The devil does not have an advantage over you by someone mistreating you, but he does gain the advantage over you through your very own unforgiveness and lack of love toward that person.

Here is why. God is love. When you are walking in love, you are walking in God’s realm and this is a position of power wherein you reign, regardless of what others may do with the intent to harm you. However, Satan doesn’t have the advantage at that point. He either is advantaged or disadvantaged based on your response. So every temptation the devil brings your way is really about moving you out of love and/or forgiveness in order to defeat you.

It’s kind of like checkers. Your opponent makes a move to make you think he wants you to make a certain move. But actually, he’s wanting you to make a move that will let him jump 3 of your game pieces. They may have sacrificed one checker to gain the advantage in the game. So when the enemy entices someone to harm you, his goal was to get you to retaliate or hold bitterness.

HOW DO YOU GAIN THE ADVANTAGE?

In order to keep your position of advantage, you must forgive the person who wronged you, just as God in Christ has forgiven us. Does this mean that you go to lunch with a person who abused you? No, it does not. But it does mean that you are not harboring hatred toward the person in your heart.