A Journey Toward Forgiveness

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 (New International Version)

What is it you struggle to forget? Who is it you struggle to forgive? I guarantee it is the very thing that is robbing you of peace, slowing your pace, darkening your path, draining your energy, binding you to the past, hindering you from moving forward, clouding your thoughts, limiting your effectiveness for God, casting a foreboding shadow on the sunniest of days, interfering with your ability to enjoy life, and keeping you from living the abundant life so often spoken of by Jesus. I don’t use those phrases because I have recently read them in a book or heard them delivered from a pulpit. I say them from personal experience. Those of us who have walked in bitterness and unforgiveness have no trouble describing the result of our own choice to do so. The longer we live tethered to the offenses and grievances of others the more easily the words pour out of us that describe what is going on inside us.

Sometimes things happen and words are spoken that affect you and you are able to quickly forgive the offender. But when the actions or words cut deeply and tear away at every fiber of your being, forgiveness will be a process that forever changes the dimensions of the word itself. Jesus set the example and gave the command, but He also provides the willingness and ability to carry out His desire. He knows there will be many steps to take on the road to total forgiveness and freedom.

The journey for me has come in stages. At times it felt like my shoes were covered in cement and progress was slow in coming. It took a while for me to realize and acknowledge the depth of my own pain. Layer upon layer of emotions had to be worked through in order to get to the core. Just admitting my tendency to hold on to the offense was a process. That then led to confession because that was a sin I was committing. But once that acknowledgement and confession transpired there was a necessary action I still needed to take. In some ways, it is the hardest and yet most productive.

For me it has been a matter of reviewing the very things I have been forgiven of and then systematically listing those things I am choosing to forgive in the other person. My forgiveness of another is always on the backdrop of God’s forgiveness of me. Each time this happens the wound is cleaned out a little more and the sense of freedom strengthened. Each time there is a moment of release for both myself and the other person. I am not going to rush this stage. I am willing to walk through the steps as many times as it takes until the chains have been completely severed and lie in a heap. No one will have to tell me when that is the case. I will know and so will Christ.

Father, I am seeing an aspect of forgiveness I never knew. Thank you for walking me through the entire process. Amen.