5 Truths About ForgivenessSample

Forgiveness Means Breaking Down Walls

One of my deepest scars has been the lasting mark of rejection. Because of a period of isolation I walked through many years ago, I began to harbor unforgiveness in my heart toward friends and family. Over time, that unforgiveness turned to bitterness, and the bitterness bred a rejection mindset. This is something I sometimes still struggle with today (I’m not perfect either), but I’ve also learned that bitterness is a liar.

Bitterness will tell you to build walls around yourself. It will enforce walls of protection around your heart. Even though the walls feel right at first, they ultimately hurt us. They eventually cage us in.

So, how do we break down the walls? We combat the lie. Bitterness tells you that no one understands how you feel, but that’s not true. Jesus understands. Hebrews 4:14 tells us that Jesus can “sympathize with our weaknesses.” No matter what pain you have experienced, Jesus has felt it too. He was unloved, lied about, abused physically and verbally, rejected, humiliated, abandoned, betrayed, and killed. Because He lived a perfect life, He deserved all of God’s blessings. Instead, He received all of our pain. No matter what you have been through, you need to know that Jesus can empathize with you.

When we draw near to Jesus, read His words, and listen for His voice, we can hear Him saying, I understand how that feels. That’s when the walls begin to come down. As we allow our heart to be softened by the love of our Savior, He replaces bitterness with freedom.

As we enjoy freedom through the Holy Spirit, we are compelled to share that same freedom with others by choosing to forgive them when they wrong us.