Forgiveness

Hey there friends! I'm so sorry its been awhile since my last post. Not gunna lie, I had few rough weeks in there. The last time I posted we were talking about freedom and what that looks like. I had mentioned two major things that I feel need to happen in order to experience true freedom. One being thankful for your past, no matter the pain and hurt and the second being forgiveness. Lets dig into the later of the two, forgiveness...! What does it mean and what does it look like? For me:it means not holding onto the wrong that was done to you by someone and not letting it define you, the other person, or the relationship. Its not saying that what was done is okay and that they are right. Its simply saying that you are not going to hang on to it anymore. Forgiveness is giving the hurt and the person who hurt you over to God. Its letting go and letting God. Sometimes its not someone else we need to forgive so much as we need to forgive ourselves. Same thing applies though, letting go, not letting it define you and your future, and letting God take it from you is a must. Last summer was a huge season of healing for me and most of that came from choosing to forgive. See, when we don't forgive (ourselves or others) its as if we are dragging that hurt and offender around with us...like its chained to us..dragging us down...rotting us from the inside out. Choosing to NOT forgive hurts US way more then it hurts the other person (and sometimes it doesn't even hurt them at all). So really, by choosing to not forgive is shooting yourself in the heart and waiting to slowly bleed out. I'll be honest here, its not easy. It unusually involves a LOT of prayer, mixed emotions as you work through the hurt and letting it go, and sometimes a daily choice to forgive for a while (depending on how deep the hurt runs). For me it involved a lot of prayer, tears, letting go of all I knew (the hurt, the habits I had because of it, and even letting go of some of the people that had hurt me), and humbling myself enough to admit I couldn't hang on to it anymore. I had to make a choice. A choice to either hang on to the hurt and let it destroy me or let it go and walk free from the bondage it had on me. Friends, choosing to forgive as hard as it was, was the best choice I ever made. I can say that because of that choice I am not the same person I was and that God has more room to continue to mold me into the woman He wants me to be. So who do you need to fogive? Is it yourself? A family memeber or a friend? What hurt(s) are you hanging onto? What are you letting drag you down? I urge you to take some time and talk with God, ask Him to reveal to you what your not letting go of. Trust me, its a prayer He wants to answer! After you figure it out, please take time to forgive. Forgive yourself. Forgive the offender. Whoever it is for whatever they did, I pray you CHOOSE to forgive and start your journey to complete healing and freedom. I can promise you that you wont ever regret the choice of forgiveness over harboring the hurt and pain. I'm praying for your, friends! I pray you choose to walkn in freedom!