I found it an eye opener. I have believed ... it has been pointed out to me repeatedly it seems, that when you forgive another, that's it. You're supposed to forget, get past it, don't think about it, don't go there. All pain is supposed to vanish. Well, I found out that isn't true.
Forgiveness DOES NOT mean:
- forgetting the whole thing ever happened
- ignoring the pain / pretending it never happened
- there will be no justice / they'll get away with what they did
- feelings don't count
Biblical forgiveness means releasing the offender from making it up to you. It is not an emotional release, not something we feel, but a mental and spiritual release. Different. Biblical forgiveness acknowledges the offense. If we're not honest about our pain, if we can't share that, we can't heal. Biblical forgiveness affirms we trust God to handle the offender and removes us ourselves as the punisher. Meaning there will be justice, but not our way. God's way.
If I bring mention of the offense up again or if I am reminded of the hurt as a result of something else said, does it mean I have not forgiven the offender? -- I'm not sure, I don't think so. I think the pain is still there and I have to re-acknowledge that and again give it to the Lord for Him alone to handle. What would not be a good idea is to renew the offense with the offender, to rehash things. I can't be the judge. I can't bring the judgement. God will handle it. You just have to give it to Him. It's not that easy. But its the best way, best thing to do.
I need to mention here, and why I haven't before now I don't know. But lest I forget, you need to know .... Jesus forgave me of my sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price for the sins of us all. It is right that I forgive others as He forgave me. Still, it is not always easy to do.
An addendum to my blog note: Later in the morning after writing on Forgiveness, I noticed I had an email from my Sunday School teacher. She wanted to know if I'd be willing to share in class when I first remembered being forgiven of my sins through faith in Jesus. Let alone being willing, I wasn't sure I remembered. After thinking on it off and on through the day, I determined my first memory of being forgiven through faith in Jesus was a year after I was baptized. I accepted the Lord as my saviour in 1982 and was baptized in late August that year. Sometime the following year there was a time when I felt "different." I remember speaking to my pastor about it at the time. As to how that made me feel, I'm not sure, but I'm guessing I felt cleansed, free, renewed.
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