Forgiveness.

We do devotionals in the mornings here at CIT and todays topic was forgiveness. This is something that I have been grappling with recently, so to hear it as a main topic of discussion for our devotion was a big deal for me. I feel like there is a lot that goes into forgiveness, especially to actually forgive with our hearts as God directs us to do. I think that there is a lot to be said for someone who has the strength to truly forgive someone from deep within their heart. 

I had not necessarily even considered forgiveness in the situation that God brought to my mind. It was interesting to see what was brought to me at that time. I think that going onto the missions field and walking closely with God can often open up old wounds, the most important thing is how we deal with those open wounds. I think that God can use little things like devotionals or fellowship with others to flush out things that we may have thought were over and forgiven already. 

This brings up solitude time. It is so important for us to take time alone with God and truly cast all of our cares up to Him so that we can deal with things adequately. I think often times we grasp at things so tightly and pout and whine about handing them over to God. Why do we do this? I ask myself this whenever I find myself doing it. God will help us and guide us and walk with us, but we need to obey Him and let Him into our lives. 

I think that by spending time with God and in His presence it strengthens our understanding of what God wants for us and what He thinks is our path. Often times I find that things that were not meant to necessarily fall back into my path do because I never fully, whole-heartedly forgave them. It is so important to prayerfully forgive someone and to make sure it is coming from the heart. 

As Christians in theory this should be easy for us, knowing what we have already been forgiven... why is it still that we have trouble forgiving others as the Lord has forgiven us? It is important when someone wrongs us for us to look back and know that ultimately they are still going to stand before the Father, and all we can do here on earth is to take a deep breath, pray and whole-heartedly unconditionally forgive them. This is as Jesus did for you.