Forgive and Shut Up

The one who forgives an offense seeks love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends. (Proverbs 17:9 NET)

Most of us have heard that when someone does something wrong to us, we are to forgive, but honestly, it is easier said than done. For some, it is easier to hold a grudge than to forgive someone. Some of us think that forgiving someone means that we are approving of what they did. The truth about forgiveness...you do it for you, not the other person. And when you forgive, it means you pardon them from the offense. It doesn't mean you approve of what they did, you just no longer hold it against them. Here is what I think is the toughest thing to do after you forgive someone...you never bring it up again. That means in conversation you never bring up how that person hurt you, you never bring up what they did to you, and that means you don't tell others about it. True forgiveness means you have pardoned them from the offense and you CHOOSE to no longer discuss what they did with anyone. I know, I know, I am asking the impossible, right? No, this is where you trust God to heal your hurt, take care of the situation and deal with whoever was in the wrong. In this way we can walk in love as we are instructed.

Take Away: when you have the chance to forgive, choose to forgive and ask God to heal your hurt and heal the situation.

Choose to Forgive

If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive that one; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the presence [and with the approval] of Christ (the Messiah), to keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions. (2 Cor 2:10-11 AMP)

One of the hardest things we can say is "I forgive you," and mean it. Forgiving people, although tough to do at times, is a necessity for living a Godly life, and it keeps the enemy from taking advantage of us. When we forgive, we don't do it to make the other person feel better, we do it for us, we do it because God wants us to forgive them, and we do it so that the enemy (Satan) can't wiggle his way into our lives with bitterness, anger, animosity, etc. Once the devil has been able to work his way into our lives, the bitterness and the rest of that junk will spread like wildfire in our lives affecting more and more areas of our lives with more junk. Forgiving people doesn't mean you approve of what they did to you, it means you no longer hold it against them. Yes, that can be tough, in fact you might say "It is too hard, I can't do it." But remember that God, in Deuteronomy 30:11 says it is not too difficult for you. 

Take Away: If you are holding anger, resentment, bitterness, etc toward someone, or it may even be a company, make the choice to forgive them and ask God to bring healing to the situation. Choose to not let the enemy take advantage over you and choose to let God bring you peace.