Forgiveness & Restoration
Why is forgiveness so important? Obviously, we need to be forgiven and, naturally, anything we want to receive, we ought to give. Beyond that though, I believe there is more. How can our lives bear the fruit of the Spirit without both receiving and giving forgiveness? Human nature begs for justice when we are wronged and yet, pleads for mercy when we wrong others. Love is the answer. We want to be loved—need to be loved, and at the same time we desperately need to give love. How do we love when we have been wronged?
1) Own our part. Every relationship involves two people who share equal responsibility.
2) Place others needs above our own. This one is not about being a martyr or being “the better person,” but about genuinely caring about the other person. It must be authentic.
3) Resist the enemy—for the sake of both parties. Division, isolation, and anger leading to bitterness are all his hallmarks.
4) Invite healing. People came to Jesus believing he could heal them, and those who approached with humility and faith, received the healing they sought.
5) Receive, that you may give. Jesus makes us whole so he can use us to help in that same process with others. He never gives us a gift for display on a shelf. He is always a practical giver and intends for every gift to be used.
6) Go through the process—a prayer of alignment and healing. We have to vent a little (to God only) along the way, but to allow that to carry on for an extended period of time, is to move ourselves further from our goal.
Putting the past behind, we must surrender our mind (thoughts, memories, attitudes), will, and emotions, our heart, soul, and spirit to be aligned with Christ and his perfect will. Renounce any claim and break every agreement that we have made to allow our enemy to establish a foothold in our lives. Ask Jesus to revisit every hurt with us and heal those broken places within us. It is okay to grieve through this. Let your focus be on giving it all to Jesus. Then, intercede for the healing, restoration, prosperity, and well-being of the other person. This may take time to get it all right, so repeat as necessary. Sincerity might be hard to come by at first, but let love change the way you view them. Take yourself out of the picture to see this person as a beloved son or daughter of the KING. See them as someone God wants to use for his glory, just as he does with you. Finally, thank God for this entire experience and for how he is growing your love for others, your intimacy with him, and your faith through it all.
This is a battle worth fighting because there will inevitably be a next time. Some other person, some other circumstance, same old story.
1) Own our part. Every relationship involves two people who share equal responsibility.
2) Place others needs above our own. This one is not about being a martyr or being “the better person,” but about genuinely caring about the other person. It must be authentic.
3) Resist the enemy—for the sake of both parties. Division, isolation, and anger leading to bitterness are all his hallmarks.
4) Invite healing. People came to Jesus believing he could heal them, and those who approached with humility and faith, received the healing they sought.
5) Receive, that you may give. Jesus makes us whole so he can use us to help in that same process with others. He never gives us a gift for display on a shelf. He is always a practical giver and intends for every gift to be used.
6) Go through the process—a prayer of alignment and healing. We have to vent a little (to God only) along the way, but to allow that to carry on for an extended period of time, is to move ourselves further from our goal.
Putting the past behind, we must surrender our mind (thoughts, memories, attitudes), will, and emotions, our heart, soul, and spirit to be aligned with Christ and his perfect will. Renounce any claim and break every agreement that we have made to allow our enemy to establish a foothold in our lives. Ask Jesus to revisit every hurt with us and heal those broken places within us. It is okay to grieve through this. Let your focus be on giving it all to Jesus. Then, intercede for the healing, restoration, prosperity, and well-being of the other person. This may take time to get it all right, so repeat as necessary. Sincerity might be hard to come by at first, but let love change the way you view them. Take yourself out of the picture to see this person as a beloved son or daughter of the KING. See them as someone God wants to use for his glory, just as he does with you. Finally, thank God for this entire experience and for how he is growing your love for others, your intimacy with him, and your faith through it all.
This is a battle worth fighting because there will inevitably be a next time. Some other person, some other circumstance, same old story.
_____________________________
In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.
-Matthew 6:14-15 (MSG)
-Matthew 6:14-15 (MSG)
_____________________________
Take some time to journal about this today because this might be a subject that you need to come back to from time to time and write more about all God is teaching you.
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