Forgiveness

Forgiveness … its a word said so easily said but not usually meant. I have said for years that I forgive the person who hurt me most in my past, but tonight I was challenged to pray for that person’s soul and when I realized I couldn’t do that I realized I had never truly forgiven him. Forgivenes doesn’t mean putting the relationship back to where it was but it does mean loving the person as Christ would have loved him. It means putting the past behind you, not ever forgiving it, but pushing past it and loving like Jesus.
While its hard to forgive others it is even harder to forgive ourselves. We have to face ourselves in the mirror everyday and usually I try to push the shame and guilt to the back, put a smile on my face and go on all the while trying not to remember the mistakes of my past. But that is not how God told us to live our lives. We are to put our shame and our guilt at the foot of the cross and leave it there because He loves us.
He loves us with a love that is so indescribable. I can’t put it into words. I have been searching for words all night but I can’t seem to find them. All I know is that this love has overwhelmed my soul and I feel as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. But now I have to go and live each day in His forgiveness, I can’t just let it be a moment that happens. It has to be a lifestyle change.

Abba, Father,
Lord thank you for the way You love me! I am so amazed by it. Lord, I pray that you would help me to forgive Brian Lord and that you would help me to love him as You love Him. Lord, I know things can never be the same with him Lord but I do pray that He comes to know You truly as his Lord and Savior.Lord, I pray that as each moment passes I would live in this freedom I feel tonight. Lord, that I would remember that You have forgiven me. Lord, I lay it all at Your feet because I love You only because You have loved me.Lord may I share this forgiveness with others each and everyday.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Orginally written: June 17, 2009