Freedom Through Forgivenessنموونە

God’s Love Empowers Forgiveness

Yesterday, we discussed forgiveness in terms of a decision that is followed by action. Decisions without actions are wishes. There is so much waiting for you on the other side of forgiveness. Health, healing, hope, and freedom, among other things. So, I don’t want to leave anyone trapped in unforgiveness.

If you think you can’t forgive, I am here to tell you that you can. You may feel like you can’t because of what you are focusing on, but the truth is, you can, when you decide to.

If you are a Christian, you have the love of God LIVING IN YOU RIGHT NOW! And that love is there to help you make the decision to forgive, which you may be struggling with.

"And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!" - Romans 5:5 TPT emphasis added

You need to live from the love of God in you!

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” - 1 John 4:16 ESV

If you are a believer, if you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you have the love of God living on the inside of you. I don’t even need to see or meet you to know this. I know it because the Bible said it’s true. And now it’s time for you to believe that about yourself.

Forgiveness is a decision to let go of what was rightly owed to us.

What If I Didn't Want to Make That Decision?

Going over everything that we said about forgiveness, defining unforgiveness is simple. It's the opposite of forgiveness. It is deciding to continue focusing on what was done to you and to continue to hold on to the very thing that is killing you.

Unforgiveness Is a Trap

Hunters use an interesting method to set traps for monkeys. The trappers put bait in a heavy box that has a tiny opening. When the monkeys come by, they sense the bait and put their hand in the hole to grab it. However, when they do that, they become stuck when they try to pull their hand out.

The hole is big enough to fit the monkey's hand in, but so small that the monkey cannot get their hand out while holding on to the bait. Think about when you are holding something—the size of your fist becomes bigger. The same thing is happening with the monkey. No matter how wild the monkey gets, it cannot escape the trap that it's in as long as it's holding the bait. Eventually, the hunter comes by and whacks the monkey over the head.

Is it possible for monkeys to escape this trap? Yes! All they must do is let go of the bait that they are holding. If they let go, they are free to run away and live the rest of their life. However, most of them don't let go.

The devil is the hunter, and we are the monkeys. The enemy is out laying traps for us to fall into.

When you choose not to forgive, you are trapped.

Choosing not to forgive is a significant decision, and it will affect everyone else in your life, so I won't sugarcoat it and say, "Hey, it's ok, don't worry about it."

You will stay trapped if you choose not to forgive. The good news is that you have the option to forgive.

I am not saying what they did is right...

I am not saying they deserve it...

I am not saying that you will feel it...

What I am saying is that you can choose forgiveness. However, if you still decide not to, it’s okay. Don’t leave, let’s continue talking about forgiveness through this devotional.