Wherever one may go in life they must remember the Spirit of God that has called them to freedom. Sometimes one has allowed friends, jobs, or family to quench the freedom and kill the life within. Soon, one could find them burned out and imprisoned to the earthly things of which one has been called to freedom. Thankfullness for life disappears.
Prison or jail is not fun. When I was working in the Criminal Investigations Unit for the United States Army, I was able to go to a prison and sit in a pod and watch the inmates. I often pondered what they did in life to put them in this predicament. There were some in prison for being a murderer, some were dealing drugs, some were being a drug addict and in all these cases a wrong or an injustice was made upon a victim. Just being physically imprisoned is nothing into comparison to being emotionally imprisoned.
Many relationships are destroyed by the unwillingness to forgive. Some people want to be able to forgive others or even ones’ own faults and mistakes made in life. Some want to hang on to the suffering and never see closure, in which causes them to be a victim to themselves. Some want to destroy other peoples lives for mistakes which were made to them. Hanging on to a wrong is like keeping a slow stewing volcano within ones soul. The next wrong being done can cause an extreme explosion of anger and violence.
Don’t believe me? Remember Columbine High School shooting? What about a spouse that holds on to a suffered wrong and then lashes out in anger because something else just lit the fire. Holding on to suffering from wrong doings is painful and it keeps one stuck in the tar pit. Being stuck in a tar pit like a dinosaur. It will only devour one and soon makes one a living fossil. How can one be able to let go and let God? It is all in perception and attitude of how to encounter the situations one may face. The reality is recognizing that God is in control and that the power to choose to forgive comes from the strength of God.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
If I had a bucket full of rocks is it full? Some have answered yes. If I had a bucket full of water is it full? Some have answered yes. However, if I had a bucket full of rocks it isn’t full. I can still put gravel in, along with sand and water. Then the bucket becomes full with substance. If I had the bucket of water then it is full and if I was to add other things to it, the water would over flow. This was the meaning behind Paul’s message in Colossians. One must put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Notice that Love is the last mentioned and it could be that Love is the hardest to obtain over compassion or being gentle. Love covers a multitude of things.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.When one has love it is easier to choose to forgive than to hold anger within and never to forgive. Take a big rock and drop it into the bucket of water. Notice how it splashes everywhere. That is anger without forgiveness. Take gravel and pour it into the bucket of rocks. Notice how the gravel blends and melds with the rocks? That is compassion working with gentleness and allowing humility to offer forgiveness when sand and water are added in and together it binds it in love. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is a way of releasing the pain from the actions of others. From the release one ceases to be a victim and it releases the judgment against the offender. Forgiveness is not just for the offender but mainly designed for the forgiver.
Forgiveness is a release from the pain and wrong doing that one has suffered. It is a gift and comfort of peace that mends relationships. What do I mean? Joseph suffered wrongdoing by the hands of his brothers. Genesis 50:17 `This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Forgiveness started from God. Man sinned from the beginning. God sent His Son down for one to be able to be forgiven of one’s sin. Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. It is because of HIM all are forgiven. Be free today and forgive others and one will begin to see the burden will be up lifted. Forgiveness is as if nothing has happened and you work together in rebuilding the relationship.
Depression is caused by many things and not forgiving and harboring bitterness is one of them. Jesus could have harbored ill feelings to those who wanted to kill Him but instead, He asked God to forgive them. Life is better when you let go of the wrong which has been done to you. Open you heart and forgive and you can see the burden lifted. God forgave us and that burden of wrong has been lifted. Someday He is coming back to take us home. Don't let an unforgiving or spiteful attitude bind you to the cross. Let go and let GOD uplift your spirit. It's all about Him. Yes, we all make mistakes and yet we are all forgiven. Thanks to the Father for the gift of Grace.
