Podcast Episode 209 - Easter Week Part 4 - The Impact of Forgiveness
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Has anyone hurt you, and it’s still haunting you?
Do you feel a surge of resentment when a particular person or event is mentioned?
Do you find the person you struggle to forgive most is yourself?
It’s Easter week, part 4. We’ve been talking about what Easter means for us, not just humanity but also for us individually. I want to talk about one of the biggest impacts of what Easter has on us and for us.
Today is for you if…
If you’re tired of reliving the pain and hurt regularly.
If you desire to be free of your offender’s grasp on you.
If you’re ready, live the life of grace Father’s designed for you.
Another way to receive this amazing grace of the cross is through forgiveness.
As we reflect on the Easter story, we’re reminded of Jesus’s ultimate forgiveness to those who persecuted him. “Father forgive them because they do not know what they do.” That’s a lot of grace that I don’t inherently have.
By learning to forgive and let go of grudges, we can experience greater peace and cultivate more compassion in our relationships. Forgiveness frees us up to live the life of grace Father calls us to.
Here are three ways to forgive:
1. Acknowledge Your Feelings
Forgiveness is often difficult because it requires confronting our hurt and pain. However, it’s essential to acknowledge and accept these feelings if we want to move forward.
Take the time to understand the emotions you’re experiencing, and acknowledge that it’s okay to feel hurt or angry.
Stuffing your feelings never leads to anything good except usually a volcanic explosion.
2. Practice Empathy
Try to understand the other person’s perspective and acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes.
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and consider why they may have acted the way they did. Hurting people hurt people.
And just because you’re practicing empathy doesn’t mean you’re saying what they did wasn’t wrong or didn’t hurt. It also doesn’t mean you have to reconcile that relationship. We’re called to forgive just as the Lord forgave us, but you don’t have to hang out with the offender. What you are doing is practicing giving the same grace God gave you.
Empathy helps make step three easier.
3. Let Go of Resentment
Forgiveness often involves letting go of resentment and bitterness toward the other person. This can be a difficult process, but it’s an important step if you want to move forward.
Resentment is like an infectious disease that doesn’t just hurt you but also the innocent people around you.
I imagine myself holding the hurt and resentment in my hands and offering it to Father. I speak out my mouth, “I forgive…so-and-so for such-and-such.” Let Him take your hurt and pain.
1 Peter 5:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
Focus on the positive aspects of the situation, and consider the lessons you’ve learned from the experience. Practicing gratitude can also help shift your focus away from negative emotions and toward a more positive perspective.
Again, you’re not saying what the other person did was okay; you’re not justifying them. You’re releasing yourself and permitting yourself to move forward into a better life. You’re practicing giving the same grace God gave you.
This includes forgiving yourself. Some of us…me included. We have an easier time forgiving others than ourselves. Use these same principles to forgive yourself and give yourself grace. Jesus does, so we need to also.
If you know someone that needs more grace in their lives, can you do me a favor and please share this podcast with them?