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- Apr 25, 2006
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- 18,404
Tough love (1)
'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go...' Psalm 32:8
Some things are harder to forgive than others. Some people are harder to forgive than others. Sometimes the things we go through are not what God wants for us. God knows the pain you feel and has seen the tears you've cried for yourself. God is for you not against you. So does God want us to forgive the people who have caused us all the pain? As someone sore from your wounds, this is a tricky idea to get your head round. It may feel like to forgive them is almost like excusing what they've done to you. But that's not how forgiveness works at all. History's biggest statement of forgiveness was said by an innocent man hanging from a torture instrument, 'Father, forgive them...they do not know what they are doing' the innocent one cried. Jesus wasn't excusing what they'd done to Him but He was praying forgiveness over their actions. Pretty heavenly stuff I'm sure you agree. Forgiveness doesn't require you to stand and take the abuse. Forgiveness doesn't ask you to remain in a situation dangerous for yourself. Forgiveness doesn't mean pretending the stuff never happened. Forgiveness is about freeing yourself from the hurt. This isn't easy medicine to swallow. Perhaps, you feel you could never forgive this particular offence. Well don't be too hard on yourself, perhaps your first step isn't to forgive, perhaps your first move is all about crying on God's shoulder.
written by Bob Gass
'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go...' Psalm 32:8
Some things are harder to forgive than others. Some people are harder to forgive than others. Sometimes the things we go through are not what God wants for us. God knows the pain you feel and has seen the tears you've cried for yourself. God is for you not against you. So does God want us to forgive the people who have caused us all the pain? As someone sore from your wounds, this is a tricky idea to get your head round. It may feel like to forgive them is almost like excusing what they've done to you. But that's not how forgiveness works at all. History's biggest statement of forgiveness was said by an innocent man hanging from a torture instrument, 'Father, forgive them...they do not know what they are doing' the innocent one cried. Jesus wasn't excusing what they'd done to Him but He was praying forgiveness over their actions. Pretty heavenly stuff I'm sure you agree. Forgiveness doesn't require you to stand and take the abuse. Forgiveness doesn't ask you to remain in a situation dangerous for yourself. Forgiveness doesn't mean pretending the stuff never happened. Forgiveness is about freeing yourself from the hurt. This isn't easy medicine to swallow. Perhaps, you feel you could never forgive this particular offence. Well don't be too hard on yourself, perhaps your first step isn't to forgive, perhaps your first move is all about crying on God's shoulder.
written by Bob Gass
