Forgiveness

A few days ago, I was evaluating my heart and cleaning out the sin I found there (using Leslie Ludy's great resource). When I got to the part about harboring unforgiveness, my conversation with God went something like this:

"You need to forgive her. "
"Me? What? Who? Her? I was never angry with her."
"Forgive her."
"Um really, I have."
"Forgive her."
"Ok, so maybe I am a bit hurt. But she doesn't see what she did. She was rude, she embarrassed me, she ignored me, and cut me off."
"Haven't you done that to me?"

The Lord got me with the last one. I had been angry with someone else about the same things my Savior has forgiven me for. He forgave me, but I didn't want to forgive my friend. It reminds me of the story of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.

After talking through it with God (ok, resisting Him for awhile), I finally forgave my friend. Let me tell you, it was amazing. I didn't realize how holding unforgiveness in my heart had affected basically all of my life. I am still hurt, but I don't have to dwell on that anymore. When you give it up to God, it's so freeing.
One of my favorite songs lately has been 7x70 by Chris August. Whether you come from a truly broken home or not, all of us have brokenness in our lives and our families. Forgiveness from the heart can set us free.

I've been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born
These walls have seen me happy
But most of all they've seen me torn
They have heard the screaming matches
That made a family fall apart
They've had a front row seat for the breaking of my heart

Seven times seventy times
I'll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
Seven times seventy times
There's healing in the air tonight
I'm reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I remember running down the hallway playing hide and seek
I didn't know that I was searching for someone to notice me
I felt alone and undiscovered
And old enough to understand
Just when I'm supposed to be learning to love
You let me down again

I lost count of the ways you let me down
But no matter how many times you weren't around
I'm alright now…cause
God picked up my heart and helped me through
And shined light on the one thing left to do
And that's forgive you, I forgive you

Seven times seventy times if that’s the cost I'll pay the price

--Chris August

"Forgive as Christ forgave you"
In Him,
Becky