I feel like I don't even really need a blog post after that title. It's pretty self explanatory. It's really hard to forgive people if they've hurt you hard enough. But no matter how easy or hard that forgiveness comes, it's necessary and healthy. I'm a pretty good forgiver. I try to understand that we're all only human, and we all make mistakes. I try to forgive others no matter the wrong because I know if I were to hurt someone, I'd want their forgiveness, too.
But forgiving someone doesn't take away the hurt. It doesn't take away the fact that whatever that person did has had an affect on you. It doesn't make you forget. Yes, as time goes by, situations and conversations will fade from your memory, but old feelings will always come back. When something touches your heart, whether in a good way or in a bad way, it leaves an impression. The brain can send triggers right back to it, and all the old painful memories will surely come back.
But, don't let recurring pain stop you from forgiving others.
Luke 6:35-38
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Amen! Thanks for that. I didn't know you blogged. But anyways, you're right. That why we die daily to the flesh...
ReplyDeleteHey, Becky, it's Maria Johnson. No joke, my youth group just talked about forgiveness, and then my friend and I were discussing a book we're reading that also talked about it! I agree completely with you. But, my question is, when God commands us to forgive, does He expect us to act like it never happened? Does the wrong that someone does to us get no punishment? I'm not saying that we have the right to punish them according to their sins, no, that's God's job. But, for example, if someone loses your trust, are you expected to immediately allow them to regain it? I don't think so, but if they don't have my trust because of something they did, I feel like I haven't fully forgiven them. Sigh. Whaddya think?
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough one, Maria. I don't know exactly how to answer you, because I don't have all the answers! I don't know that God necessarily expects us to instantly trust people again after they've lost our trust. He does want us to guard our hearts, and so we need to be cautious when we doubt that a person is trustworthy or not. I think when you forgive a person, you basically give the situation up to God. I think depending on the situation, maybe it would be acceptable to talk to the person and let them know that you're working on forgiveness and it's going to be hard to trust them again, but you're trying.
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