freedom
Are you stuck? Can’t move forward? Can’t get over a past hurt?
The number one block to healing is unforgiveness.
Many people want to forgive but sometimes have the wrong idea of what forgiveness is--let me tell it to you straight.
What forgiveness is: realizing that the situation is more than your humanity can bear so you allow Jesus to do all of the heavy lifting. You simply need to be willing to give the situation, hurt or person to Jesus and allow Him to do the rest.
What forgiveness is not: forgiveness does not automatically bring with it restored relationship. As a matter of fact, it may not be prudent to restore a relationship with certain people. Boundaries may need to be drawn for protective reasons, but forgiveness can still be issued.
Our responsibility: hand over the situation, hurt or person to God and allow Him to handle the fixin’--of both them and us.
His responsibility: to be faithful to handle all that we entrust into His far more capable hands.
Want freedom? Lasting peace? A giant sigh of relief? Be willing to forgive!
Then-- let the healing begin.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.” Colossians 3:12-13
Dear Lord,
UGH! How can I just give this to You? This person has really hurt me and to be quite honest, does not deserve to be forgiven! He/she has not said sorry--and probably never will. But I feel as if I have drunk poison and am waiting for him to die. So, for MY OWN sake--I need to forgive! And because in Your word, that is what You ask me to do, I must be capable of doing it. So here I go, though I do not feel like it...I will as an act of the will, and by Your grace, give all to You now:
I place all that he has done to hurt me in my hands--I name them one by one--and I now hand these over to You, because You are far more capable than I am to handle them.
I now place all that HIS sin caused me to do (like be unkind and unforgiving!) in my hands--I name them one by one--and I now hand my sin over to you to forgive and to restore. (Mental note to self--I might want to take this to confession at some point.)
I now place all the good that I would like to see come from this for him (like he become a NICER, more conscientious person) over to You because as You know--I sure can’t fix them!
And now I hand over to You myself, and all the good I would like to see come out of this for ME! For I can’t even fix myself! Only You can heal and make me whole.
Lord help me! I throw myself and all of this into Your merciful hands...I ask for your divine grace, that I don’t deserve and yet that You so freely give to me, to come and flood my heart so that I can pass this on freely to all who hurt me. For, I know Lord, that without Your help, I, on my own, can do no better. Thank You Lord for hearing my prayer, and for helping me to choose forgiveness again and again and again...
I ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Want to learn more about Forgiveness? Simply click HERE to watch this week’s
THE SOURCE video entitled FORGIVENESS: the path to freedom.
Fr. Mario Majano speaks on why Forgiveness through Jesus is the SOURCE OF PEACE.
Come to THE SOURCE and DISCOVER!
Why not watch with a friend or two and then discuss these great conversation starters...
Week 3:
FORGIVENESS: the path to freedom.
(Thesis: Everyone needs to receive and extend forgiveness in order to experience peace. Jesus’ payment for our sin enables this--Jesus is the SOURCE of PEACE.)
What one thought most stood out or impressed you as you watched this video? Discuss.
No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus. Know peace. In what ways does knowing Christ’s forgiveness help us to live peace daily?
Fr. Mario Majano shared that he had drifted away from the Church, not “physically” but in other ways. Share ways you may have experienced drifting in your own life.
Share an experience of forgiveness –either forgiving or being forgiven—where you felt Christ at work in your life. OR an experience in which you need help in finding forgiveness for yourself or for another.
If what Fr. Mario said is true, that Jesus and experiencing His forgiveness is the source of PEACE, what steps can you take this week to “rest” in His peace?
