Turn Your Pain To Power.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" Eph. 4:32. 

A teacher once asked her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to class. Whenever someone offends them and they refuse to forgive such a person they had to write that person’s name and the date of the offense on a potato and put it in the bag. Students were instructed to carry this bag with them everywhere they go, to the store, to bed, and to class. Soon, the bags become very heavy, and the potatoes begin to spoil, creating an unbearable, foul stench. Unforgiveness is like rotten potatoes. It's a heavy, rotting burden that we choose to carry. Forgiveness isn't about letting the offender off the hook; it's about setting yourself free from carrying the rotting weight of past pain. Forgiveness is not necessarily an easy thing. Especially in a marriage tense with past troubles, tormented by fears of rejection and humiliation, and torn by suspicion and distrust. Forgiveness hurts. Especially when it must be extended to a husband or wife who doesn’t deserve it, who hasn’t earned it, who may misuse it.

Tell yourself the truth, on some occasions it hurts to forgive. Forgiveness costs. Especially when it means accepting instead of demanding repayment for the wrong done; where it means releasing the other instead of exacting revenge; where it means reaching out in love instead of relinquishing resentments. Real forgiveness takes place when the person who was offended and justly angered by the offender bears his own anger, and lets the other go free. Anger cannot be ignored, denied, or forgotten without doing treachery in hidden ways. It must be dealt with responsibly, honestly, in a decisive act of the will. Either the injured and justifiably angry person vents his feelings on the other in retaliation.

Achieving genuine forgiveness involves releasing resentment and extending grace, mirroring the grace God has shown us. Instead of suppressing your hurt or seeking revenge, bring your raw emotions to God. He invites you to cast your burdens on Him, which allows His peace to replace your bitterness. 

Forgiveness is an active choice to cancel the emotional debt someone owes you. It means choosing not to hold their wrongs against them, just as Christ chose to forgive you. True forgiveness seeks to restore harmony. While reconciliation depends on both parties and boundaries are sometimes necessary for safety, your goal should be to live peaceably and leave judgment in God's hands. 

FURTHER READING:

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" Roms. 12:18.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba Father, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and grant me the supernatural grace to extend mercy to those who have hurt me. Help me to treat them with the same patience and love that You continually show me. Guard my tongue and my actions, so that my response reflects Your character rather than my hurt. Give me the strength to look past the offense and trust You as my ultimate defender. In Jesus' name, Amen."

1 YEAR BIBLE READING LAN:

Psa. 114:1-8.

Psa. 115:1-18.

Psa. 116:1-19.

Psa. 117:1-2.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“Turn Your Wounds Into Wisdom. Learn From Your Pain.”