Have You Forgiven Him or Her? What Does The Bible Say About Forgiveness? ( Archived) (7)

Non-forgiveness can be a heavy burden to carry...maybe now is the time for you to let it go.

Im an atheist. Relatively unusual-i somewhat respect Christianity.

I dont do the forgiveness thing. That's one of the reasons im atheist. There is a difference between an honest mistake, and a purposeful, malicious act.

I also feel that Forgiveness is a way to fill your streets with stalkers, kidnappers, felons, robbers, murderers, etc etc and soforth.

I also dont forgive a woman who's "done" me. Spent off my money. Gone to neighbors and trashed me behind my back. (the more skilled ones then come to YOU and ask you to protect them from the very neighbor they trashed you with! Saying they did, or said, this or that, that way you're always angry at everybody, which accentuates her claim to them, that you are "Bad.")
Marries me for my money, then tries to KILL me.

A freak neighbor who tries to worm his way into my life, and after a VERY brief introduction, or sometimes NO introduction at all, starts growling and snarling at you, then later asks what your problem is! THEN starts stalking you, in a literal rage, that you wont socialize with him!!

I dont forgive, EVER. And i dont care what others think. You try to talk to people and they tell you that some weirdo who obviously has designs on you (EVEN IF YOU'RE A MAN OVER THE AGE OF 60!!!!!!!!!) and they tell you "oh he's just trying to be friendly!"

Yeah i could respond to that, if i wasn't afraid of a punch in the nose. Or on here, i can't post stuff like that!

All the above doesn't mean im necessarily going to go after somebody, ever, but what it does mean is that im NOT gonna pal around with them, or socialize with their freak-dumb.

Non-forgiveness can be a heavy burden to carry...maybe now is the time for you to let it go.[/quote

Have you ever read the Steven McDonald's story, a NYPD cop paralyzed for 30 years after being shot at close range by a teenager? The articles says,

"McDonald, the father and son of a city cop, barely dodged death in the July 26, 1986, attack where 15-year-old Shavod (Buddha) Jones blasted him three times inside the north end of the Midtown oasis."

These are Mc Donald's words after his miraculous recovery:

“I forgive him, and hope that he can find peace and purpose in his life.”

Instead of remaining in that place of discouragement, pain and defeat, Steven McDonald allowed God to use him to positively impact the lives of so many people after his terrible ordeal. The article further states that it was the words of Cardinal John O’Connor's comparison of Christ and the cop that helped convince the paralyzed McDonald to follow his new path.

“He didn't save the world through teaching and preaching and miracles,” the cardinal once told the cop of Jesus. “He made it possible when he was lying motionless on the cross.”

There is power in the cross. Maybe, you have been carrying that weight of non-forgiveness around for a while. It is time to lay it at the feet of Jesus. Yes, like Mc Donald, the pain and the scars are there. But through the power of prayer and forgiveness, there is a new and better path for your life.

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ. Today I lay this burden of non-forgiveness at His feet. I pray for the grace to release ( name the person) who has caused me hurt. Fill me with Your peace and love and make me whole once again. Use me Lord. I thank You for answered prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

If God loves me enough to forgive me, why is it so hard for me to forgive myself?

GUILT....sometimes we are our own worst enemy, and that saying also holds true when we refuse to forgive ourselves for whatever reason.

In the same token, don't allow others to make us feel guilty about our past mistakes, so much so, that we never forgive ourselves...

Psalm 103:11-12 says,

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

That is the extent of God's love towards man! With God, it is a case of forgive and forget! Maybe it should also be the same with us. Don't let guilt rob you from the healing power of forgiveness...forgive yourself because God has already forgiven you.

thanks crayons....and u r right, we can't absolve ourselves from our own sins. i wanted to get across the idea that we allow guilt to get the better of us,and some people blame themselves, and never break free of this mindset. It is with God help that we need to rise above that state of mind.