A Fickle Thing

Forgiveness can be a fickle thing.

In my experience, I've felt forgiveness given to me and leave me for another. But for many there seems to be terms of endearment, and with this comes expectation of forgiveness from others that can be damaging to our spirit and others' as well. Some people out of their own guilt or shame will surprisingly expect another, that they've even intentionally hurt, to forgive them. I've been a witness to some selective few, who will ask for forgiveness in order to feel a release from their own feelings of condemnation.

This may be extreme to some, but we can all understand that being forgiven, or hearing someone tell us they forgive us after we knowingly hurt others, can be delivering and freeing. I believe it is our own pain that keeps us hurting others and even expecting forgiveness just to be forgiven and not apologizing out of love. When we get a revelation of the cross through the Lord's sacrifice for us we can understand this feeling of grace, and how it can affect us first hand.

Emotional and spiritual wounds are a very real thing and seeing these being revealed in our lives will shed light on our pain and let us know that we still need healing from the Lord. When He heals us then we can be free to forgive willingly, even earnestly with our whole hearts. Seeing our pain is a difficult thing For many individuals and just recognizing it as such can be suffering and take painstakingly long to admit to.  Allowing God to examine us and truly trusting Him to heal those wounds completely without interfering with the way He does surgery will heal our pain and make us stronger to forgive when others try to hurt us again.

Father, make me like your Son. I want to love others as You do: without expectation or compromise. Help me to be gracious to people that want to hurt me so that they may see Your glory and come to know how much you love them. I want to be a light shining in the darkness of others' lives. I want to share your light with the world. I know that in order for this to be, I will need to be like Messiah Y'shua. Make it so, with the accordance of Your will.

Jezzadiah