Forgiveness: An Act of the Will That Impacts the Heart!

"You want me to do what?" That was my response when I was prompted in prayer by the Lord to forgive. I thought to myself, "But, you don’t understand what he did to me!" I reasoned that if God knew the extent of personal pain and heartache that I felt that He would not of asked me to do such a natural thing. None of my arguments seem to work because I came to understood the gospel that if God could forgive me, how can I withhold forgiveness from someone else?

The personal anguish and pain that I felt was heavy and that I had carried it with me for so long had invoked emotions of anger and frustration. At times it brought anxiety and fear from my past which affected my motivations in my spirit. It even became a part of my identity. I told people that this is just the way I am.

That was many years ago. While I was in college and beginning my own young adult life, I realize that I had become what I despised in the other person. Anger was often present. Fear became a guiding emotion. Hurt often motivated me to act out in negative ways. I carried it as a burden slumped over my shoulder, weighing me down. Sadness and depression visited me often. I’m sure that many can relate with what I’m saying. I have grown up in the church and even renewed my commitment to Christ, yet, I carried this is a deep wound that tour at my spirit. The more I thought about it, the more it hurt. Without going into detail, let me just say that we all can become prisoners by what negative things have happened to us! We can pretend for only so long.

Today, because of the work of God’s loving spirit in my life, I have learned to forgive. No, it didn’t change the circumstances nor the person that had hurt me. It didn’t punish the deserving abuser or bring justice to me. I don’t expect that everyone is ready to forgive. I felt as if my holding onto the anger and bitterness that would bring justice. I reason that if I simply let it go and forgive that I am somehow rewarding the one who caused me so much pain. I reason that I was letting someone off the hook. I’m not even saying that in your forgiveness you should allow someone to continue to bring abuse and harm to you.

In reality, I was hurting myself. Anger has a way of turning inward and bringing bitterness along with it. I was digging in deeper, believing that I was building a defense and shutting people out which somehow prevent me from being hurt again. To forgive is like cutting loose the burdens that bound your heart. I don’t represent myself to be a professional but in my case, my journey, it begin with prayer. Deep wounds can often be helped through professional counseling. It can often be unraveled by a professional Who is trained to help me learn to cope and deal with what was going on inside.

It is through forgiveness that I was able to find freedom. It was in letting go that I was able to find freedom. It brought hope as I learned to forgive, even those undeserving and those that I felt such anger over. It wasn’t immediate but it was a turning point.

So often that there are times when I must practice a discipline to forgive. It seems as though that as I learn to forgive others that I gain a deeper understanding of the grace that God has given me through his forgiveness. I believe that forgiveness is an act of the will. I understand nothing until I choose forgiveness.

My challenge is that we need to forgive! We were not created to hold recentment and bitterness. We were made to forgive.

Take note of the following article that outline the 6 Steps on How to forgive.

One of the most remarkable activities done during the Prison Ministry of Kairos is to ask participants to write down the name of those they need to forgive including their own name. They write the names on rice paper. During the special weekend of Kairos they are invited to place the rice paper in warm water, watching the names dissolve. This is to symbolize letting go of the pain, fear, shame, and hurt of those unresolved experiences that have happened. This act of the will impacts the heart.