Soul Kitchen

I flipped my daily inspiration calendar....

"Loving God - I pray for the understanding to forgive those who have hurt me. Open my heart to forgive as You have forgiven me. Amen."

Not words I wanted to start my day off... my heart is heavy. These words hit me hard and have been mulling in my head all day now.

How does the dictionary define "forgive?" Stop blaming or grant forgiveness. Absolve from payment (I forgive you your debt).

That's pretty powerful stuff. I honestly need time to work through everything that has happened and take a step at a time. I honestly don't know if I am at the point if I can honestly say that "I stop blaming" or that "I absolve him/her."

What does Jesus ask of me?

Colossians 3:13

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (NIV)

Forgiveness happens when we are obedient to God.... through faith. It's not easy to do but it's something that God has told us to do so we can be forgiven. It doesn't mean that a hurtful situation doesn't exist and it isn't denying the fact that your feelings are hurt. Forgiveness is freedom from bitterness.

That's alot to process. I need to make the choice to forgive and trust God to do the rest. It's my prayer that I can do that and be free from the bitterness that is hurting me. Only through faith and by God's grace can I do this.

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Wow! Jesus forgives me when I come to him. My slate is erased clean the second I come to him. Isn't that how it should be in our walk with God? Should we not be willing to do the same for others? What example am I to my children if I cannot forgive the one who hurt me? I can forgive my children so easily yet selfishly am hanging onto things that were said in anger to me by someone else.

I reread the daily inspiration and pray these words for myself...

"Loving God - I pray for the understanding to forgive those who have hurt me. Open my heart to forgive as You have forgiven me." Amen."

Thank you Jesus that you are my strength to take this step to forgive. These words now are my words and not words on my calendar.... they're my heart.

I pray they can be yours too.