Father forgive them for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult choices to come to at times. One thing we must realize is that forgiveness is a choice, it is not a feeling. So many times the enemy will bring condemnation to us because we don’t feel like forgiving someone. We can feel like not wanting to forgive, but do it anyway. I’m sure the emotions of Jesus when He was on the cross were fighting His will to forgive, yet He chose to forgive those who placed the nails in His body. His overcame His human emotion. He had self control in a time of torture. He was the perfect example of a Man who was filled with God’s Spirit.
When you forgive, you allow God to arise and let His enemies be scattered. I’ll say it again that forgiveness is a choice not a feeling. The enemy will do everything possible to stop a person from forgiving. He will remind us of all the wrongs and pain that another person has caused us. He will cause people to hurt other people so that their would be division and unforgiveness between friends and family. We must remember to love the person, hate the evil source behind the person’s actions. When Jesus was on the cross, He saw the people, not what the people were doing to Him.
God’s love surpasses all pain and heartache and gives us the ability and desire to forgive because of the great forgiveness we have been shown. Make a conscious decision today to forgive anyone who has wronged you. Speak out that you forgive that person by name so that the enemy knows you mean business, and watch freedom run to you as you imitate King Jesus.
Know this, that forgiveness is a gift to yourself, not an approval of wrongdoing by the other person. When we choose to forgive, what we are actually doing is choosing freedom for ourselves and to release the hand of God to do what needs to be done in the other person’s life. We do not necessarily need to trust who has hurt us, trust is earned, but we do need to forgive. Forgive as Jesus forgave.
The Teaching Ministry of Michael Cannatello
TMMC
