Forgive YourselfSample

FORGIVENESS BRINGS FREEDOM

Everywhere I go, I meet people who feel like they can’t forgive themselves. And I get it. But forgiveness is vital to living a life of peace, freedom, and power. And that includes forgiving yourself.

I have a friend who had an abortion when she was young. I asked her to share the process she went through to receive forgiveness in her own life.

“Many years ago, my husband and I drove to a nearby city to hear a man preach on forgiveness. His message profoundly affected me. As we drove home afterwards, I was laying in the back of our van and while I thought I had moved on from past wounds, I suddenly realized I hadn’t forgiven my first husband. He was four years older than I was and had manipulated me to have sex when I was just a teenager.

“As a result, at 18 I became pregnant. After we got married when I graduated from high school, he began to bombard me about aborting my child. Although I didn’t want to, I was eventually swayed and finally agreed to the abortion. I had no idea what I was doing, nor did I realize the pain, shame and heartache I would have to live with for the next 30 years.

“That marriage had only lasted 3 ½ years and I was now happily remarried. As that horrible memory played through my mind, I quietly repented and let go of all animosity and anguish from the brokenness of that past painful relationship. As I did, I heard the soft sweet voice of the Lord say, ‘Now, you need to forgive yourself.’ He said it twice.

“Tears streamed down my face as I forgave myself for the horrendous and unconscionable deed I had allowed to happen to my body and my child.

“I will always regret what happened, and if I could turn back the clock I would. But I had to move forward. After forgiving my first husband and myself in that back of that van, I was able to put it behind me once and for all.

“Often, I think we don’t realize that forgiving ourselves is a part of God’s plan to keep us free. That was a momentous event in my life. I’ve never forgotten the moment I forgave myself and got free.”