Forgiveness & Its Power

I Choose To Forgive!

Will You Forgive Me?

Tammy Tangent Tuesdays

Hi Beautiful!  I pray your week is being showered with love and joy as you walk faithfully through each day radiating that Beautiful You!  Many prayers are going out to you this week that our Lord covers you with an outbreak of undeniable peace and joy that changes the atmosphere around you as you become aware of all the beauty and wonder surrounding your presence.  After all, you are highly favored!  It’s that time again; it’s Tammy Tangent Tuesdays!

Forgiveness…  Boy, forgiving someone when you have been hit hard by their flaming arrows and emotional darts seems like a ludicrous thing to do, but is it? 

Will you forgive me?  I am so sorry!  Four simple words really, but four words we rarely hear today, or use.  Why are we so afraid to ask for forgiveness, much less extend it?  It’s called Faith the Fear!  When you faith the fear, it becomes a clear example of valor and bravery to utter those simple words of “Will you forgive me for my participation in this division?”

Since the Word says the truth will set us free, the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and others is to extend God’s Great Love to work in and through us.  Being the hands and feet of God requires complete surrender and submission during the pain which offers forgiveness.  God did not design and create us for ourselves, He created us for His pleasure. 

As I have found out, when you extend the grace to forgive others unexpectedly, the domino effect is an overwhelming gift of grace that keeps on giving.  One person changes the dynamics of more than just those around them.

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom; but if we want to be like our Jesus, having the freedom to forgive or not reflects our relationship with Him.  That’s worth chewing on.  When the Lord takes up residence inside of us, a whole new standard of living is put into place.  Sadly, we appear to have lost that reverence and responsibility somewhere.

Anyone can say they are a Christian, but when you’ve been loved by the Father God and have a living, active and intimate relationship with Him, forgiveness is a choice that comes naturally, or the desire to forgive is.  Actually doing it is another thing because of the many fears associated with it along with our egos.  Shall we say P-R-I-D-E!

We have all been hurt by spouses, family, friends, and even our pastors and leaders in our congregations.  The pleas and cries of many beloveds is pain from not forgiving others.  We carry it around not realizing its effects on others.  That distrust and lack of intimacy filters through and interferes with our reception in being loved on and poured into.  Forgiveness through Love clears the way for blessings offering peace, joy and hope.

Why do it?  I surrendered my life during the intense pain to the one who had rescued my soul by walking out my faith being bold and courageous.  I chose to forgive those who completely shattered my heart and world; thereby ushering in Noah’s Flood towards freedom.  It really wasn’t hard, but it did take bravery.  Magical consequences that only Love Himself could deliver.

Three years ago I was captivated by the lyrics of Jason Upton’s song called the “Table” which I pray you will listen to, awakening your understanding about forgiveness.  I can’t begin to encourage you enough to take 15 minutes in quiet reflection to receive all that needs to be said about forgiving one another’s grievances against each other.  These lyrics deliver joy and peace that surpasses all knowledge versus a lifetime of torment and bitterness.  

The pure in heart will see God…

If our faith and testimony is to mirror the life of Christ with a childlike heart, then that wonder requires that we have our hearts cleansed.  I understand and totally get how asking another person to forgive you when you feel you’re the one who has been violated seems foolish.  It causes anxious thoughts and makes us uncomfortable.

The way I see it, if our ocean tears developed into a Noah’s Flood that Hoover Dam could not contain, then that person occupies a tender portion of our heart whether we want to believe it or not and deserves to be forgiven.  We have been forgiven much, now it’s our turn to extend that grace.

Weekly challenge:  Follow Jesus’ life and example by choosing to forgive one person this week.  Just one!  It takes two to tango and if their violation caused a hole in your heart that is not life threatening, write them an email, a letter, go to their house, or make a phone call and just say, “Will you forgive me for my participation in this division?”  You might be amazed at their response and the freedom you all receive.

1 Peter 4:8 reminds us, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Let’s choose to be weapons of righteousness, because the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). 

Until next time…

Thank You For Being Beautiful You!