Forgiveness Before Thanksgiving
Forgiveness. It can conjure up feelings of dread, unfairness, hurt and unimaginable pain. And yet, UNforgiveness can be even more painful. Have you heard the saying “unforgiveness is like drinking the poison and expecting the other person to die.”? Ouch, right?!
First let me say… while I’m feeling prompted to write and share this, I’m also well aware that I have hurt others in my life, knowingly and unknowingly. But as I move into Thanksgiving, a holiday of deep gratitude for all of life’s blessings, I’m keenly aware that a heart of gratitude can’t be full of anger, hate and unforgiveness. I’m aware I still have people in my life, including an immediate family member, who I no longer have relations with due to their unforgiveness; but I also hold firm to scripture that I am forgiven and must hold that space in my heart for others as well.
Here is the scripture that brought this up for me….
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3: 12-15
Forgiveness is not just an act towards others, it is also a belief of love towards self. It’s unconditional love of self, knowing we are flawed and fallen yet loved and forgiven. When we don’t fully understand and embody the forgiveness Jesus offers us, the pain of things we’ve done can drown us. And while there are certainly lessons to be learned and potential fallout from actions taken, we are still loved by God. Forgiveness of others began, for me, when I truly understood that I am forgiven by the one who matters most.
In numerous places in the Bible, we are shown the power and importance of forgiveness. From Genesis through Revelations, we are given stories, parables and examples of how forgiveness was far from deserved and yet mercy was offered.
“Forgiveness is not the absence of anger; it’s the presence of mercy. It is refusing to make the other person pay for what they’ve done, because Christ refused to make us pay for what we’ve done.” – Tim Keller
Jesus’s final words on the cross… forgive them Father, for they know not what they have done.
Can you forgive, bless, release and move forward?
Forgiveness is not always about restoring things to how they were, breaking down boundaries that have been established or trusting the other person. In fact, I believe there are certainly circumstances where the health and well-being of those involved are in jeopardy if boundaries were broken or trust was restored. But by forgiving and releasing, you can find peace and harmony within you.
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free – and to discover that the prisoner was you.” – Corrie Ten Boom
As we prepare for tomorrow’s festivities on Thanksgiving and might quite possibly be in the presence of those who need our forgiveness, here are 4 takeaways shared in a sermon to pray and ponder over…
Praise God for the abundant forgiveness He has shown you
Pray for God to increasingly give you a heart that loves forgiveness
Assess your heart – are you withholding forgiveness?
Move forward in forgiveness this week – setting the prisoner free
P.S. These thoughts, or ramblings, were brought on by listening to one of the Pastors at our church in last week’s sermon. If you’d like to listen, you can access it here.
Wishing you a wonderfully Happy Thanksgiving. xo - Cathy
