The Antidote for Anxiety and Depression: Trust in Abba Father’s Care – Pt 41
Forgiveness Benefits You!
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
– Matthew 6:12
Yesterday morning I was assisting my mum prepare to go for dialysis and she asked me to do something for her. I was doing something else at the time so I told her to wait a minute because I can’t multitask as I am not like most people. Actually, the thought that came to my mind was that I am not like normal people but I didn’t say it out loud as I was pondering what normal looks like for me. My big sister who raised me after my mum left was also in the room and in that moment I remembered some of my childhood unpleasant experiences. Without hesitancy, I said, “That’s why when I was a child my big sister beat the daylights out of me for every little thing. I didn’t sweep the floor fast enough she beat me. I didn’t take the clothes off the line fast enough she beat me. I didn’t eat fast enough she beat me. I didn’t answer fast enough when she called she beat me.” I got licks for doing everything too slowly. My big sister asked me if she really did that to me and I told her yes. She then said that she doesn’t remember and told me if she did she is sorry.
I took that opportunity to express to her how I felt about being beaten for everything that I thought I had no control over. I told her that I thought she hated me and I was terribly afraid of her. Therefore, I had to spend a lot of time in counselling to overcome those feelings and learn to be assertive. I also let her know that when I got older I understood that it was not her intention to hurt me but that was the best way she knew to discipline. She was a very strict, no nonsense person and highly respected by everyone.
I remember that because I was very peculiar with food, I hated food so my big sister forced me to eat and licks were usually her way of getting me to eat. The more she beat me to eat, the more I hated food. Often times as soon as she turned her back I would induce vomit to get rid of the food and in my mind I said to myself, “I am not eating for spite.” Thinking that I was spiting my big sister but I was actually hurting myself.
I had already forgiven my big sister. After all she was a young adult with two young children of her own and was given the responsibility of caring for nine younger siblings with no parental training or skills. I can only imagine what that was like for her.
In Matthew 6:12 the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and Jesus told them to pray to their Father in Heaven to “…forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
The word “forgive” is the Greek word aphiemi, which means to set free; to let go; to release; to discharge; or to liberate completely (Renner, 2003).
It’s interesting that we often tell one another to let it go! When someone is offended. Not realizing what we are really admonishing is to forgive or according to Renner (2003) to forfeit any right to hold a person captive to a previous debt or wrong he or she has committed.
As I thought about my big sister’s response to what I told her, specifically that she doesn’t remember beating me like that for everything, The Holy Spirit dropped a revelation in my spirit as to why forgiveness is for you and not for the person you are forgiving, that is, because sometimes they don’t remember what they have done to you or have a clue as to the hurt they caused you. Therefore, they continue to live their lives while unforgiveness erodes your soul like a bad cancer as you constantly remember and hold on to what they did to you. It stands to reason that when you forgive the people who offend you, whether deliberately or unknowingly, you are healed, delivered, and set free from the shackles of unforgiveness to live a victorious life.
When you get a revelation of how your ability to receive forgiveness from God depends on your obedience, willingness and ability to practice forgiveness “seventy times seven” as Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:22, and set free those who have offended you; then you can boldly and confidently declare that you are the forgiven of God. Jesus has already purchased your forgiveness. Would you relinquish your right to be hurt by forgiving your offenders and walk in freedom and victory today?
Shalom!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father I love You and I worship You because You are worthy to be praised. Thank You for being my greatest example of what it truly means to forgive. It is because You have forgiven me of all my sins that I am obedient to Your command to forgive those who have offended me. Thank You for the revelation this morning that forgiveness is really for my benefit. Therefore, I declare today that I will relinquish all my rights to hold my offenders captive to the offences they have committed against me. I declare that I am healed, delivered, and set free from the shackles of unforgiveness and I live a victorious life. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ mighty name with thanksgiving. Amen!
