Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Forgiveness

Recently a dear friend shared of a hurt she is bearing right now.  Out of the blue someone she loved and respected came to her with very harsh and hurtful words.  She is hurt by the accusations and grieving for a lost friendship. 

I would venture to say we have all probably dealt with this.  I have.  Someone misunderstands a situation or is misinformed and before you know it, it becomes a downward spiral.  There are also times that the anger had nothing to do with you at all you just happened to be the one to catch the brunt end of it.  But it still hurts. 

Friends, Jesus experienced this too.  Let me ask you this, what did Jesus do?  He forgave.  Even hanging from the cross He forgave.  Luke 23:34 says, "Jesus said, 'Father forgive them for the know not what they are doing.'"

It is hard to fully forgive someone when they hurt us.  Whether we did wrong or we are completely innocent, it is hard to let go of that hurt and move forward.  But we can do it, through Christ.

If you have been wronged, pray that God will help you to forgive that person.  Then pray for them.  Yes, I said pray for the person who wronged you.  Jesus set this example by praying for those that did wrong to Him.  The more you lift them in prayer, the easier it is to move toward forgiveness.

Colossians 3:13 says "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

If you are dealing with hurt, I encourage you to pray for the person and the situation, and forgive them. 

Sweet Blessings~

10 comments:

  1. Beautiful post.

    I am a new follower!

    Sarah

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  2. It is hard to forgive someone that has wronged you but when you are able to and you will, the weight off the shoulders is such a relief. Isn't it awesome Jesus was the One to show us that we can forgive? Thanks for a great reminder. Love ya and many blessings.

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  3. I, too, have recently been hurt. It was unintentional and I know that. However, the hurt is there. There is nothing in the world that will remove the hurt. However, I also know that I must NOT become bitter. I am battling this each and every day. It is difficult to look at the ones that hurt me and be happy for the new adventure they are embarking on. I am reminded by this post that forgiveness is a MUST. It is not negotiable. I see how Jesus forgave everyone...even the ones that took His life...He asked God to forgive. I pray that I have the same kind of forgiving heart. I genuinely want to be like Jesus and forgive...I make that choice right now. I also pray that God will heal the hurt in my heart. Thank you for this great post. It is something that I needed.

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  4. When we don't forgive, we usually end up only hurting ourselves. I want to follow the example Jesus set and forgive those who hurt me. Great post!

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  5. Forgiving is hard, but once it's done there is such freedom and peace. Hanging on to hurts truly only hurts us. I'm glad He thought to tell us how important it is to forgive others. Great post!

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  6. Unfortunately, I know all about this kind of hurt. I wasn't close to the Lord at the time, but I'm so glad for the restoration and forgiveness He offers. Great post and great advice! Thanks for sharing :)

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  7. Wow, I have had several of these kind of moments with friends through the years. I learned a long time ago that it is better to forgive than find our self tied up in knots all of the time. It is hard, especially if you don't feel that you did anything wrong.
    Prayer is so important in the process of forgiveness of others and even yourself.
    Thanks for your thoughts and blessings to you! LeAnn

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  8. Hi Jenifer,
    A very good post, Jenifer. My first husband was very abusive and he is now supposedly a Christian. But he has never asked me, the two wives that came after me, nor his children to forgive him. So your statement, I said pray for the person who wronged you, (so sorry for the lack of quotation marks, my keyboard is acting up) is the only way that I have found that I can truly begin to feel like I can sincerely forgive him. I can tell myself to, but not feel it. But if I pray for him, I begin to feel it. Jesus knew what He was talking about. I guess that makes sense, seeing as how He created us He should know!:)
    Love and hugs, Cindy

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  9. What a wonderful lesson you've brought us all today Jenifer. Getting past our personal feelings of hurt and grief can be very difficult, but once we realize that they probably need God's Guidance at that moment certainly puts thing in perspective.

    Thank you for a wonderful reminder!

    Have a Blessed Day!

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