Forgiving Love


Forgiveness. Our ticket to freedom. When we forgive, we cut those chains that hold us back in our past. Because everytime we try to move forward, the sound of those chains brings the old memories alive. And hurt people hurt other people. As Christians we have mastered the theory of forgiveness, but still it is incredibly difficult to forgive well. To forgive like Jesus forgave us. We even pray this in the Father´s prayer: ,,Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." I usually quickly add a line: Lord, please, teach me to forgive better.. We cannot forgive well, if we are not healed completely. We live in a fallen world, so there are always new wounds coming up, some are just scratches, some go right through your heart. Sometimes I think of church (not Church) as a special training school for forgiving.

The Lord in His mercy started teaching me about forgiving pretty early. He gave me two younger sisters – twins. Double portion 😊 They really had a special gifting in provoking and annoying me, when all I wanted to do, was to read my books in peace. But with them it was impossible! They always wanted something from me, and when I gave it to them, they normally lost or destroyed it. Of course, I had my own ways for fighting back, usually by trying to ignore them, calling them kids etc. But eventually I learned to forgive them. On daily basis. Otherwise I would not be able to speak to them at all. I guess they learned also, that there is nothing they can say or do to me, that will stop me from loving them. Just last weekend they teased me about my next blog being about the squirell jumping in the trees.. Nothing much changed :) Later I learned that I have to forgive my parents (even though they were very loving, they were not perfect and made few mistakes along the way) in order to have a good relationship with them. And of course I was forgiven on regular basis as well. You first learn to forgive in your family.

Later on I learned to forgive my friends, my colleagues, my bosses.. Normally when some relationships were not workng well, the Lord reminded mit in prayer to forgive that person. That enabled me to pray and bless them in a new way. I was not perfect, but I was willing to learn. After my dad died I was angry with God. So angry, that I told Him things I had no right to tell. That He is cruel, that His word is no true, I just asked Him to leave me alone. I was hurt and horrible accusations were coming out of my broken heart.

Not so long ago I was talking to Him and wanted to repent once again. So I told Him how sorry I am for all the terrible words I told Him back then. I will never forget His reaction. He looked at me really surprised, raised His eyebrows and asked me: ,,What are you talking about?" In that moment I understood His forgiving Love. My sins are totally forgotten, deleted, like they never existed. They are gone for ever! He will never ever bring the subject up! That is the way He forgives us, the way He loves us. That is the way we should forgive others. We only will be able to forgive like this when we understad and receive His forgiveness. You cannot give what you do not have.

,,Lord, please, teach us to forgive like You do. Show us today Your forgiving Love, help us receive and renew our minds. We want to love like You do."      

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