Freedom in ForgivenessSample

Day Two // Forgive and Release It to God

When I was younger, I had a traumatic moment happen that negatively affected me for so many years.

I pushed down the feelings and emotions that came with what happened to me, and it wasn’t until I was in my early 20s that I realized I was still hurt by what happened. I wasn’t just holding bitterness against the person who hurt me; I was also holding bitterness against the people in my life who did not help me when I was hurting.

Bitterness is a nasty thing. You don’t realize how deep the root goes until you really think about what happened to you and how badly it hurt you. God wants you to be free today. It doesn't have to take you 12 years to be free from bitterness like it did for me.

I ended up going to Christian counseling in my early 20s and was able to forgive the people who hurt me. So much so, that I am still in relationship with the people that hurt me. I am not saying you must be friends with someone who deeply wounded you. I’m also not saying to stay in an unhealthy, abusive relationship at all. God will show you exactly what to do. Just know, that when God truly speaks, He always speaks in accordance and perfect alignment with His Word. God never goes against nor contradicts His perfect Word.

"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." - Jesus, Matthew 6:14 - 15

I know it hurts, I know it's hard, I know it seems impossible, but you can't afford to withhold forgiveness from those people who did those things to you. You need to forgive.

I just ask that you pray to God and ask Him to forgive you for holding bitterness and offense towards those people. After that, ask God for wisdom and seek wise Christian counsel on what God wants your relationship with that person to look like. True wise counsel is mature God-fearing Christians who are uncompromising and aim to encourage you through the Bible.

Regarding the traumatic moment I had, God helped me forgive those people, and I could continue our friendship. There have been other times in my life when people have hurt me, and I am no longer in contact with them. However, I have forgiven them, and I pray for them daily. When I pray for them, I pray that God blesses them. I pray that they have the best life possible. Is it hard to pray for that? Sure! But I know it will get easier with time.

As for you, I pray that the Lord reveals His healing power in your heart today. You don’t have to stay wounded. You don’t have to stay offended. You don't have to stay bitter. In God's Word, we are told to watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble us. Your bitterness could hinder your spiritual, emotional, and relational growth.

You may be reading this and having a tough time forgiving them. I might not know exactly what you are going through, but I do understand how hard it is to forgive. You are not alone. Jesus understands exactly how you feel. He went through such deep hurt on earth. Do you remember Judas? Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, but Jesus washed his feet and loved him anyway.

Who in your life can you think of that you need to (metaphorically speaking) wash their feet and bless? I know it’s hard, but Jesus is with you. He’s just waiting for you to give your hurt, offense, and bitterness to Him. It's worth it.