Forgiveness is Liberating!

Forgiveness is a liberating, loving act and attitude we must have.  It frees you from the hurt someone caused you.  It is healthy and brings peace.  Proverbs 19:11 says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”  Some of the best advice I could ever give you is to let that offense go, no matter how bad it was.  “But they didn’t say they were sorry!”   That’s the beauty of forgiveness – they don’t have to in order for you to receive freedom from hurt, bitterness, and anger.  Just let it go and choose not to let them have any more control over your life and emotions.

Unforgiveness will lead to vengeance.  Getting even with someone has a high price that most of us, in hindsight, would never pay.  Unforgiveness imprisons you in your past, holding you hostage from the life you want now and in the future.  As long as you are unwilling to forgive, you will be shackled to that person who hurt you.  Their one time act, whether intentional or not, can hold you captive for a lifetime – if you let it.  Let’s say what they did or said lasted one minute.  Yes it was wrong but now that wrong has reached out further than that one minute boundary and has stolen ten years of your life.  Their act hasn’t consumed you for ten years – your unforgiveness has.  Now it’s all you think and talk about.  Hate and vengeance has fed your unforgiveness and now you have created and nurtured a monster to which you are enslaved.

Unforgiveness is like a sore.  It started out as a small, non-life threatening injury. But you’ve continued to pick at the scab and reject healing.  You’ve enlarged it and opened yourself up to infection.  Now your sore has spread and you feel worse than when you started.  Choosing not to forgive is choosing to love hate.  Unforgiveness spreads like a cancer.  It produces bitterness which dominates thinking and creates anger.  Anger produces offense and soon spirals out of control and sparks thoughts of revenge.  Now, you are vengeful and begin to close off from other relationships to avoid future hurt.  Soon, all this will lead to lies, slander, and even profanity. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way!  Forgiveness frees you!  It takes the weight off and liberates you to enjoy life, live in peace, and engage relationships.  Scripture promotes forgiveness because it is a cool, refreshing, life-giving drink to a parched, weary, dehydrated soul.   There are at least 70 pictures of forgiveness in Scripture.  These figures of speech show us the beauty and benefit of forgiveness. 

Forgiving is like opening the cell door and releasing the prisoner.  Forgiveness is like writing “Paid in Full” over a debt.  Forgiveness is like shooting an arrow so far it can never be found again.  Forgiveness is like taking out the trash as to leave one’s house clean.  Forgiveness is releasing an anchor so the ship can sail.  To forgive is to turn the key, open the cell door and let the prisoner free.  Forgiveness is like pardoning a criminal.  Forgiveness is like sandblasting a wall of graffiti, leaving it sparkling and clean.   Forgiveness is like smashing a pot into many pieces so it can never be assembled again. 

Forgiveness doesn’t mean overlooking abuse, letting someone walk all over you, approving of evil, or even pretending hurt never happened.  It doesn’t always mean reconciliation can happen again.  It just means you can be free.  Forgiveness brings life, health, and freedom.  Jesus forgave us from the most horrible, wretched sin imaginable.  He died for our sins even when we didn’t want or deserve it.  The greatest reason to forgive is because Jesus forgave us from so much. 

A Drink For The Thirsty Soul

John wrote in Revelation 1:18 these powerful words of Jesus, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore.” Jesus defeated death and has the keys of not only Hades and Death, but also the key to a fulfilled life in Him. John goes on to say in Revelation 3, “I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Does that sound like you? Are you spiritually dead? Sometimes the events of life can drain us. Maybe your spiritual life was once vibrant and life-giving but now it has been sucked dry. You can be refreshed and once again be satisfied.

Isaiah 55:1-2 declares the hope you need. “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink, even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.” There is a drink for the thirsty soul that only Jesus can provide. A drink of alcohol won’t fill you or bring the peace you need. The Lord isn’t saying you need a better diet (although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt most of us). It is the refreshment in the Spirit. It is time spent in His presence. Jesus is the drink for the thirsty soul.

Maybe you’ve been through some real trials and temptations lately. The Psalmist wrote, “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.” Does this sound like you? There is a drink for the thirsty soul. Perhaps you’ve experienced a personal tragedy. Psalms 61:2 says, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to a rock that is higher than I.” Have you been attacked unjustly by those around you? It especially hurts when it’s those you love the most. The Psalmist experienced this,” With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause” (Psalm 109:3). There is a refuge of living water for your thirsty soul.

Maybe you have been just overwhelmed with work and your life is just full and fast paced. Palm 63:1-2 says, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” There is no land too dry and no time too weary that a drink of His Spirit cannot satisfy. You could be even caught in shame in guilt. Psalm 38:4 says, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” There is no burden too heavy for the Lord.

It is time for you to drink from the fountain of the Lord’s Spirit again. John ends Revelation with these words, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). Refreshment is only found in God’s Spirit. It is better than water in a desert and air conditioning in the summer. Respond to this invitation from the Lord to renew your relationship with Him. Repent of obstacles and sin in your way and drink of His living waters once again.

You Can Be Set Free

Mark tells us of a troubled man who was possessed by demons (Mark 5:1-20). He was an outcast, living in the tombs and mountainous area. He appeared quite dangerous, breaking chains with his hands and cutting himself. I’m sure he was secluded here to get rid of him and he had given up hope of ever being normal again. He probably thought his tortured life would never change. But something interesting happened to him one day. He met Jesus.

The confrontation with Jesus was no accident. Jesus was there that day to set him free. This mad man, while wild and unpredictable in his behavior, was irresistibly drawn to Jesus (Mark 5:6). He feared the worst from his encounter with Jesus. Before Jesus asked for his name, the demon-possessed man spoke Jesus’ name. It was believed in that time that knowing the name of a person gave the knower power over that person. This trick didn’t work on Jesus, who is All-Powerful. Jesus asked for his name and the demons answered, “We are Legion for we are many.” If this description of over 6,000 demons was supposed to intimidate Jesus, it didn’t. No power can match that of the Lord and the demons knew they had met their match. What was impossible for this one troubled man to overcome was easy for Jesus. Not only did Jesus cast them out but He controlled their destination, hurling them into a herd of pigs. While disastrous for the pigs, it was ultimately liberating for the man.

Satan desires to destroy your life. It is his ultimate goal – to steal, kill, and destroy from you but Jesus came so you may have abundant life (John 10:10). God does have a wonderful plan for your life and Satan has a horrible one. Satan, knowing Jesus is coming again to ensure his demise (Revelation 12:7-9; 20:10), is trying his best to take as many people with him as he can. While the devil is at work, he is no match for God. Scripture says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19). God will not let Satan go unpunished or unchecked.

Jesus set this poor man’s life free. While he wants to join Jesus on His travel, Jesus sends him back to his home town to be a living example of Jesus’ power and freedom. Can you imagine what the people in his town thought when they saw him in his right mind giving praise to Jesus? What a testimony! What a transformation!

This isn’t just a story of the past but a reality for your present! Jesus can transform your life as well and raise a standard up against the devil in your life. Jesus’ liberating love can help you today. He already knows your name and the issues that are binding your life. He came to set the captives free and release prisoners from darkness. He wants to give you beauty instead of ashes, gladness instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair (Isaiah 61:1-7). Instead of trying to escape from the prison of sin only to flee in fear of being captured again you can be pardoned and set free. Your slate can be wiped clean and given a new beginning in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).