Be YouSample

God desires all of His daughters to live in the freedom that enables us to follow His two greatest commandments: to love Him and to love others as ourselves. That freedom can only truly come when we are willing to lay bare anything that we’re holding on to that keeps us from experiencing all that God has for us.

Just as the decision to accept Jesus as our savior is one we must make for ourselves, it is also up to us to choose to receive every blessing He has for us, including the transformational power of forgiveness.

The phrase “forgive and forget” oversimplifies the process of forgiving someone who has hurt or betrayed us. It’s a process that can be painful, even frustrating. But we are instructed to forgive in the same way that the Lord forgives. Why? Because Jesus came to pay the cost of everything that hinders us and every sin that so easily entangles us so that we can be freed to love and be loved, fully and completely.

Fortunately, our bondage and brokenness don’t keep us from God’s love or from being used by Him, but He paid a great price to free us from them. He asks us to choose not to hold onto our burdens, bitterness, unforgiveness, or past wounds so that we do not carry them into our relationships.

Remember this, friends: There is no shame or condemnation in Christ. He already knows our broken places, and He already gave His life to heal them.

Take a moment to talk with Him; ask forgiveness or offer it; reject any lies that have taken root or anything else that has held you back.