Life is messy. And. The messy stuff of life can be painful. There are some
people who attempt to let go of the pain by creating a painful experience, experiencing a momentary release. But. It is short lived.
How do we manage the people in our life who strike out in pain?
There is one word--forgive.
To forgive, we let go, releasing the power of the pain.
The thing is . . . when we forgive . . . ourselves and others . . . we remain aligned with the forgiveness of God, a power which impacts not only ourselves but everyone around us, a power that changes the world, a power that overcomes the darkness, a power that brings light into the darkness, a power that releases us from the things that take life away.When we hold on to pain, refusing to forgive, we become filled with bitterness and hatred, missing life, unaware of what really matters.
Consider.
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:21-22, NLT).
Jesus made it clear to not forgive seven times but seventy times seven, to not forgive as little as possible but continually, to be free of the power of the pain, released to experience the gift of each day, and to be empowered to move forward.
Forgive. Seventy times seven.
Learning to Kickstart the day, forgiving seventy times seven,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)