Forgiveness Ensures Freedom

A lot can happen to you in a year. In fact, a lot has happened to me this year (and let's face it, my entire life). And over the course of my life, I'm inevitably going to go through any number of painful experiences. When these problems arise, it'll be fairly easy to pinpoint a person or circumstance in which to channel my anger and frustration but in hindsight, I know I'll always come back to the fact that everything happens for a reason. Why is it only after the fact that I realize it's what I do in response to every situation that is often more important than the situation itself?

So, my point? Upon much reflection over the last few years I've come to terms with the fact that I have spent far too much time being annoyed, angry or upset with people who didn't even know it and circumstances that I couldn't change. Recently I've been forced to face my harboured feelings and become more proactive in the forgiveness department. Now that's not to say that I haven't been practicing forgiveness for the last 21 years. I have. But it was different somehow... It was almost as if I didn't have to think about it. Forgiveness? Yeah sure, no problem. I can forgive that person for what they did... That was my inner dialogue most of the time... but when the big stuff hits... is it really forgiveness when you surpress your feelings, hoping you won't have to deal with them? Pretending they don't exist? Well, no I don't suppose it is, plus it's totally not healthy.

I'm not really sure where I was going with all of this... I just got to thinking about how God is working in my life right now after reading the devo I've attached below. He keeps reminding me that I need to let go and forgive and that if I'm not capable of doing that on my own, well I need to ask Him for help. God, I choose grace over bitterness! Help me to forgive those who have hurt me. Help me to love them like you do.

Be blessed.

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Forgiveness Ensures Freedom
by Os Hillman

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ~ Hebrews 12:15

In business and life the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain. The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won't take up bitterness as a response to life's pain. He cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness. If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it. God's grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it. God does not live in bitterness. He lives in grace. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.

One day I was challenged to deal with an individual who hurt me terribly. I was faced with a decision. Would I choose bitterness, or would I choose grace? Oh, how my natural tendency was to choose bitterness. But God provided the courage to choose grace. With that grace came freedom-a freedom to love and even accept the person who was the source of such pain.

This is the real place where Christ's power is most revealed. We cannot live without His supernatural grace. Are you in need of grace today? It is there for the receiving. It will take courage to accept it and walk in it. This will be your step to freedom.