Forgiveness

Forgiveness: It has been on my heart to write about this subject for the last few days. I have been avoiding it because it's hitting close to home these days. And since I was tagged in a post about forgiveness hours after I told God that I would be obedient- I am sure that is no coincidence. So here we go...

Forgiveness is not easy. The first step is the hardest because it is an admittance that hurt has occurred and that a weak point was found. Human beings have an aversion to being vulnerable. This is not about the "you stepped on my shoe" kind of forgiveness. This is the hard stuff- "you hurt my heart to the core" kind of forgiveness.

For me, I have been experiencing some deep hurts and while I have forgiven on one level, there are residual issues that God is still working out in me. I am so glad for a strong prophetic presence in my life that can see my "blind spots." With the exception of a few people in my life...my issue looks like this: I am okay with forgiving you. We can move on. But I have closed the door to my heart to you and I will not open it back up. However, God is calling me to open my heart because I am called to be like Him. To be like Him means that I have to leave the door open to real reconciliation as He would. I want to see God more that I want to hold on to hurt, but some days, I am thinking.."man, this is a bunch of crap.." Now, this does not mean that you let people walk all over you, but hurt people hurt people. Just as we change and evolve, we need to be hopeful and accepting that others can change too. Seeing a person commit and execute a complete 180 is the richest kind of reward in life. It is this type of forgiveness that allows you to love again and not build a wall of protection around your heart.

There is an old saying (and a bumper sticker) that says, "I (Christian) am not perfect, I am forgiven.." However, we forget that this is a two fold sentiment. We are to forgive others as we have been forgiven. God does not remember our sins and after we are forgiven, we are reconciled to Him as if it never happened. This is the kind of love that the body is called to replicate in the earth. Peacemaking forgiveness with a side of unconditional love that can only be accomplished in God's power. Blessings!

***My thanks to Apostle Ivory Hopkins for his obedience to the spirit of the Lord because I am sure that I would still try to delay writing this post. (LOL)