The greatest need of the human heart is forgiveness.

Walking in forgiveness is necessary in order to have consistent fellowship with God and others. Without it, we are missing the enjoyment of a deep, intimate fellowship with God that both He and we desire. Without it, we carry anger toward others and ultimately toward God.

Unforgiveness is a terrible burden to bear. When I see an angry, bitter person my heart breaks. Often the pride which causes that person to refuse to forgive is also blinding them to the hardness of their own heart. Our willingness to forgive those who have offended us is directly connected to our own forgiveness. Bitterness is a dangerous place to stay.

Deep pain usually lies behind the denial of forgiveness.

I don’t think a child sets out to be a hardened, judgmental, or abusive person. I think it is something that is learned through experience, often though very painful circumstances.

Turning Trauma into Triumph

Forgiveness helps keep us mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. We were designed to be wholehearted, fully integrated beings, and the spirit cannot be separated from the soul and body.

Often, it’s the little things that drive a wedge into our relationship with God, allowing Satan a foothold. Little things such as unmet expectations, unfairness, or personality friction.   Without proper healing, these footholds turn into strongholds which harden our heart and hurt our relationship with God and others. 

The lack of forgiveness opens the door to oppression.

It’s the warmth of God’s love which dissipates the mist clouding our mind and heart. God has the power to remove the hindrances and entanglements holding us back from the abundant life he has created us to enjoy.

Awaken to What Has Been

The flesh likes to hide our true thoughts, feelings, motivations, and intentions. It also likes to protect us from harmful, disappointing, and negative emotions. These messages lodge into our soul and get stored in the subconscious, creating the framework of our perceptions. Our perceptions form our reality and experience of life. 

If we are unaware of our thoughts, feelings, and desires, false messages may be stored in our soul, distorting the image that we see. It is essential that we unravel these messages, let go of the old, and embrace the new. This is the foundation of transformation.

Pride follows in the wake of an offense which is not promptly recognized and forgiven.

Pride is tricky. It informs us we are right, actually righteous, and the other person should have known better. Our pride masks the offense—often we don’t even realize we have been offended. We walk along thinking we are good. Pride informs us the offense was done to us on purpose and refuses to recognize the truth about people. We cannot see people clearly through the lens of pride.

The enemy loves this. He wants us to be unaware of our heart condition, confused, and lost. This open door becomes a floodgate for tormenting spirits.

Realize What Can Be

Walking in forgiveness means that when pain arises, when anger swells, when we remember the offense or injustice, we are quick to put it down and turn to the Truth. When we are walking in humility, the world and its folly doesn’t feel so personal.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil. 4:8)

We keep our eyes focused on Christ and remember that He has forgiven us even though we don’t deserve it. We remember His blood covers all our sins, even the ones we haven’t yet realized. Remember this when someone who has hurt you doesn’t repent.

Enjoy What Will Be

May we remember Christ’s ultimate example on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Like Jesus, when we live in understanding of human nature and what sin does to us, forgiveness can be a natural response.

We embrace God’s forgiveness and this flows to those around us.

Only God’s power in us makes this possible.

Lord I open my heart to you. Please reveal the darkened areas; I allow you to enter those areas. Deal with me gently, for that is Your nature. Massage and soften my heart. I want to see You and others more clearly.

To read a personal story of when I had a hard time forgiving after a friend died from cocaine, read Let it Go!