THIS PRISONER HAS BEEN SET FREE

THIS PRISONER HAS BEEN SET FREE





"TO FORGIVE IS TO SET A PRISONER FREE AND DISCOVER THE PRISONER WAS YOU"

FORGIVING.....To cease to feel resentment of or claim requital for (an insult); To grant forgiveness

FORGIVENESS....THE ACT OF FORGIVING, Pardon

To forgive seems easy when it concerns someone else.To us to forgive when someone hurts, betrays , insults us in some way, then it becomes an almost insurmountable obstacle in our lives. It take a very mature person to forgive someone and to make it happen quickly and completely.

Many years ago now, I had my first taste of forgiving someone who hurt me with something really important to me. I did not want to forgive. I wanted for the person to hurt as I had been hurt.BUT, I knew what was right and my heart would not let me rest. Yes, the person had wronged me but there was a conviction in my heart that burned deep inside of me. I had learned something over the years from the Lord that would not give me peace. We are commanded as Christians to forgive those who have wronged us. Matthew 6:14,15 says,

For if ye forgive men their trespasses**
your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; BUT IF YE F O R G I V E N O T MEN THEIR TRESPASSES, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER F O R G I V E Y O U R TRESPASSES."

** these words found in a dictionary,not in the Bible.**(1. A violation of moral or social ethics;Transgression;sin;2.Err,Sin;)

Recently, I have learned another verse that means so much to me.It is found in the book of James chapter 2:2a....."For IN MANY THINGS, WE OFFEND ALL.

I learned another thing about offense here. WE OFFEND ALL! So, we too, offend, we are just not being offended by others. The Bible says that we offend in MANY things. So, either we learn to forgive or we will not be forgive by our Heavenly Father.

We cannot just use words in this instance to say we forgive and hold that resentment in the secret place in our hearts, where no one can see. OH, WAIT, HOLD ON.....SOMEONE DOES SEE, THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON OF ALL, God, Our Heavenly Father, who has forgiven us all that we ever did.

Yes,I know it hurts, yes, I know it is hard BUT it must be done to be pleasing to the Lord, our Saviour. Isn't this what we want most in our lives IF we are truly a Christian, which means "Christlike."

This does not mean, I believe that we have to trust that person again, even believe them again, BUT, we must FORGIVE!

So, I can say that once I was that prisoner BUT I HAVE BEEN SET FREE. I pray that I never place myself in that prison that was of my own making again. Sometimes, it is harder than other times but He didn't tell us "forgive if it is easy", He said, "FORGIVE." He didn't tell us to forgive if we want to, He said FORGIVE. I choose to forgive and pray that others forgive me when I have offended them, whether I know or not. I want to be like Jesus in all His ways as much as I can. connie

1 comment:

JTR said...

Very true. Love this post. Thanks.