I really enjoyed this, and it truly got me thinking about forgiveness. I’ve always felt that I can forgive others, but I’ve often said, “I may forgive, but I won’t forget.” Lately, I’ve been wondering if remembering and forgiving really go hand in hand. If we hold on to the memory of the hurt, have we truly forgiven?
What I’ve realized is that forgiving myself for things I’ve said in the past is often much harder than forgiving others. Yet when we ask God for forgiveness, His Word tells us that He forgives us completely. So why is it so hard for us to stop letting those past mistakes haunt us?
If God has already forgiven us, perhaps the real struggle is learning to accept that forgiveness and extend it to ourselves. Maybe part of true forgiveness is letting go of the weight we continue to carry long after God has already lifted it.
Definitely something to think about. Typically things we have done that haunt us mean we haven't resolved them, so can't let them go. If we have wronged others and haven't reconciled... that should be our number one goal. Confessing we were wrong and asking forgiveness from the wronged party. If they choose not to forgive us, but we have done our part scripturally, then we can absolutely let it go. God always forgives us when we repent (which means, being sorry for what we've done and doing our best not to ever do it again) in earnest, but we can't expect that from humans. Especially non-believers.
Freedom in Christ means being free indeed. If we are no longer doing the "bad things" we did in the past, then we absolutely have to let it go. If we are still doing those things then that's a problem we need to work on. I've always believed that if we can't "forgive ourselves" then it's like slapping Christ in the face. That his sacrifice wasn't enough for us. There's absolutely nothing stopping us from letting things go if we are no longer participating in whatever those things were that cause us conviction. The only things that stops us is lies from the Devil and what Christ always called "lack of faith." That sounds harsh, but again, if we hold onto things we know we absolutely don't do anymore... if we feel guilt for things we have long put behind us... then it's like we don't trust Christ and his sacrifice on our behalf.
Many of us have struggled with the exact same thing. But, it's well worth moving past that kind of stuff because it only hinders us from becoming everything He wants for us and plays right into the enemy's hands when we do.
I agree, we should always go to our prayer closet to pray. It shouldn't be something done in public. I also agree that we must forgive and forget. Thank you. Glad that you had a good trip and made it safely back home.
I really enjoyed this, and it truly got me thinking about forgiveness. I’ve always felt that I can forgive others, but I’ve often said, “I may forgive, but I won’t forget.” Lately, I’ve been wondering if remembering and forgiving really go hand in hand. If we hold on to the memory of the hurt, have we truly forgiven?
What I’ve realized is that forgiving myself for things I’ve said in the past is often much harder than forgiving others. Yet when we ask God for forgiveness, His Word tells us that He forgives us completely. So why is it so hard for us to stop letting those past mistakes haunt us?
If God has already forgiven us, perhaps the real struggle is learning to accept that forgiveness and extend it to ourselves. Maybe part of true forgiveness is letting go of the weight we continue to carry long after God has already lifted it.
Just something to ponder. 🙏
Definitely something to think about. Typically things we have done that haunt us mean we haven't resolved them, so can't let them go. If we have wronged others and haven't reconciled... that should be our number one goal. Confessing we were wrong and asking forgiveness from the wronged party. If they choose not to forgive us, but we have done our part scripturally, then we can absolutely let it go. God always forgives us when we repent (which means, being sorry for what we've done and doing our best not to ever do it again) in earnest, but we can't expect that from humans. Especially non-believers.
Freedom in Christ means being free indeed. If we are no longer doing the "bad things" we did in the past, then we absolutely have to let it go. If we are still doing those things then that's a problem we need to work on. I've always believed that if we can't "forgive ourselves" then it's like slapping Christ in the face. That his sacrifice wasn't enough for us. There's absolutely nothing stopping us from letting things go if we are no longer participating in whatever those things were that cause us conviction. The only things that stops us is lies from the Devil and what Christ always called "lack of faith." That sounds harsh, but again, if we hold onto things we know we absolutely don't do anymore... if we feel guilt for things we have long put behind us... then it's like we don't trust Christ and his sacrifice on our behalf.
Many of us have struggled with the exact same thing. But, it's well worth moving past that kind of stuff because it only hinders us from becoming everything He wants for us and plays right into the enemy's hands when we do.
Thank you. That all makes perfect sense!
I agree, we should always go to our prayer closet to pray. It shouldn't be something done in public. I also agree that we must forgive and forget. Thank you. Glad that you had a good trip and made it safely back home.
Thanks Jeannette K! Great to "see" you here. :)