One of the most insidious things we face in this Christian walk is the hidden enemy of unforgiveness. It operates like a snake in the grass. Like a blood-sucking leech, it drains life from us.
Many are bound by unforgiveness, and their relationships suffer as a result.
But God does not want people to be chained. Nor locked in a cycle of bitterness. God wants us to image him well. He wants us to be liberated by forgiveness.
In my personal forgiveness journey, I have realised how much deeper forgiving is than making a resolution to do so.
We can think of forgiveness consisting of three facets. The spiritual, emotional and practical.
Spiritual
Forgiveness starts with finding the will to cancel the debt and surrender the right to retaliate. Maybe you feel this person deserves punishment for what they did. But the words of Jesus realign your thinking. So too does praying for them. This godly decision to forgive finds its catalyst in the spirit of God residing in you.
Emotional
Unfortunately, unforgiveness often comes with a level of trauma. Somebody has hurt youvery deeply. Sometimes the trauma is so deep it has a radiating effect into other relationships.
This needs to be dealt with adequately. It’s nothing to be skipped over or suppressed. This is why forgiveness is considered a journey. Fortunately, we have psychologists, psychiatrists and we have the Holy Spirit, the perfect counsellor to help us.
Practical
Finally, we have the practical side of forgiveness.
A great example to look to is the example Joseph sets. Joseph was wronged by his brothers in a terrible way. But in the end, Joseph forgave them.
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis chapter 50, verses 19 to 21).
Don’t miss the tail end of the passage. Joseph promised to provide for them and their children. He reassured them and spoke kindly. This is the practical side of forgiveness.
The practical side of forgiveness is to serve the person who has wronged you with a sincere heart. With a heart free of bitterness.
This is what validates the resolution.
This is the fruition of the resolution. The fruition of the prayers and healing from trauma. After the internal side of forgiveness is complete, forgiveness is able to reach its crescendo and find its hands and feet.
When forgiveness is truly complete you will find continued action.
Maybe this isn’t possible for everyone because the relationship has been severed, or they have passed on, but this is the type of forgiveness we should strive for.
Once we find this type of forgiveness, we will taste true freedom.
Roden Meares enjoys playing basketball, reading comics and going to the gym. He has a passion for evangelising and helping others in their faith through writing.
Roden’s previous articles can be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/roden-meares.html