I woke up ans watched a YouTube clip by Sheila Walsh on forgiveness. I love this Scottish preacher, not just because of her pretty Scottish accent but because of how real she is. I recommend you google her testimony sometime. It was encourage your heart. This woman has walked through some serious pain and the Lord has carried her through to live to tell about it. She, like me was close to ending her life.
Anyways I took notes and prayed over them. I felt the Lord lead me to share them with you.
Often after we've been hurt by others, it is so hard to forgive. For me learning to forgive without an apology was the hardest. I have old bullies out there who have never said sorry. Only two so far. I have many many old bullies.
I hope Sheila's wisdom will bless you all as much as me.
"Forgiveness is God's gift to us to live in a world that is NOT fair".
"UNforgiveness is like carrying around a heavy bag of flour"
"UN forgiveness is like kneeling on a stone stuck in your knee"
(He who is without sin let him cast the first stone John 8:7b )
"Forgiveness does NOT say that what happened to you is OK"
*It is ok to say what they did or said is wrong. You are worth being treated kindly and with respect.
"Forgiveness does NOT mean that you stay in a hurtful situation and allow someone to keep hurting you"
**This is really important. I felt for so long that I needed to be friends with my old bullies or somehow make peace with them. But some of them are still dangerous to my emotional health. Especially my old Pastor who is sadly still out there hurting other souls. It's ok to say NO MORE and end the relationship.
"Forgiveness is NOT burying your head in the sand."
"Forgiveness is not denying the pain".
*For so long I could not even recognise the bullying that had happened was wrong. My journey of being bullied started at around age 2 so I was far to young to know any better. It became my normal.
"If you don't forgive you remain trapped in what that person did and you are giving them power over you''.
"When you refuse to forgive it's like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die".
"Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind anyone that you have not forgiven".
*The Lord's prayer helps me with this...forgive us of our trespasses as forgive those who trespass against us
"Don't wait for somebody else to be sorry, or things to be right or fair. You step up and be the one".
"Begin a daily habit of forgiveness".
"Keep a small stone in your pocket as a reminder we have been forgiven much so help us freely forgive".
Remember that forgiveness takes time. My old Pastor Terry once told my that forgiveness is a journey. Those words have set me free. They have given my wounded heart grace and time. Sometimes I simply forgive by faith and just leave the rest to God. He can help me to forgive. Another thing that has really helped my heart heal and stay in forgiveness is to pray for the person who hurt me. Depending on the hurt this may take a while before you enjoy praying for this person/s. It has taken me about 4 years to enjoy praying for a friend who dumped me. I just saw her picture last night and my heart felt a tender love for her and y prayers feel sweet and no longer out of hardness and pain.
Prayer is very powerful. It will help you forgive and heal your heart.
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