I began discussing on the principles of God and this time round I want us to consider the principle of forgiving. These are keys in the Kingdom of God that will always have doors to open whenever applied, and forgiveness is one of them. Now that we have been made sons of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, God expects us to emulate Him as co-workers in His Kingdom and practice what the He does.
Easier said than done but that does not make it an impossibility. People have been heart broken by others over the years, to some very severely, but I have a good news that we have a God who binds up the broken hearted. Psalms 147:3(“He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.”) God will never ask from us that which He has not given us. Ephesians 4:32(“and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”) We can see that God has given us forgiven from our sins and He expects us to do the same. The moment we do God’s will, there will always be blessing that follow. He will first bind your wounds from the hurts and brokenness you could have received from others and then give you a Grace of forgiving others.
There are many ways to heal brokenness but there is so much fulfilment in the healing that God gives. John 14:27(“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”). From this scripture, we understand that the world has its way of giving peace, love and healing, but that from God overshadows all others. It binds up completely and begins to flow like a fountain from the true source. Once it begins flowing, giving the same forgiveness and love now becomes so easy and you find yourself letting go to all burdens in our lives.
The longer you carry a load, the more it limits your ability to move faster and drains your energy. I would consider unforgiveness to be a kind of burden which will always limit your ability to grow and reach your full potentials because it will be draining your energy all along the way till there is nothing left. Jesus came that we may have life and have it in abundance. John 10:10(“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it in abundantly.”)Living an abundant life is living a life without limitations and burdens to carry which will enable us to reach to that which God has always held for us.
The limitations of unforgiveness were broken through our Lord Jesus Christ but we choose whether it will still be a burden to you or not. Matthew 11:28(“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”). Jesus has all power to lift our life limitations, bitterness and unforgiveness and surpass it all in love, peace and a forgiving heart. This is more of a command from God that it is a request. Forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. There is literally no limit on the number of times that we should forgive others. Luke 17:4(“and if he sins against you seven times in the day, turn to you seven times, and says, “I repent”, you must forgive him”)This is to be done just as our Father does not count the number of times we sin against Him and He still forgives us.
I pray that God will help us in healing our wounds, bitterness and unforgiveness and create in us hearts to forgive that we also might be forgiven. Shalom.
The Latter Grace 