Forgiveness Frees!

"Joyful Worship"

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To love at all is to be vulnerable.

Love anything,

and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact,

you must give your heart to no one,

not even to an animal.

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries,

avoid all entanglements;

lock it up in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.

But in that casket

-- safe, dark, motionless, airless --

it will change.

It will not be broken;

it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

- C.S. Lewis

I'm back in Manila; I arrived here last Saturday. After the ten days of ministry in Cebu City that Pat and I did with the YWAM staff and students, I chose to fly directly to Manila instead of going back to my home city.

It was a good opportunity to be with my daughter Obedient One on her birthday.

Well, I never expected to be sick... but, I guess it is one of those things that one simply cannot predict.

On Saturday night, my head felt heavy and congested. On Sunday morning, on our way to my friend Alberto's church, I felt nauseated and had to relieve myself a few times.

But in spite of how I felt, Obedient One and I still managed to have a special lunch at our favorite Greek restaurant, an early celebration of my daughter's birthday. We feasted on our favorite food - roka salata, and charbroiled lamb chops.

Beginning Sunday night, up to yesterday... I was cooped up in my daughter's little pad... sick. I didn't really feel bad about having to be in bed... it was just nature's way of forcing me to be still and get some rest!

On those four days, it was cloudy, rainy, damp, and cold!

Today the sun is out... and I am much better... so off I went to my fave coffee shop nearby... good old Starbucks!

I'm here sipping my cafe latte, and writing my first post for December.

I will try to keep this post short... and sweet -- my way of keeping in touch with the rest of my blog neighbors. And also, it's time to give a brief update of what God's been doing in my heart these past days.



I feel good about how the landscape of my heart is changing.

God is obviously at work in ways we do not foresee...

We are not the masters of our destiny, but by our choices we do participate in either hastening or delaying its fulfillment.

There is an upward call to obedience.

And to humility.

Humility is the willingness to admit that I do not see all angles.

Sometimes, without my knowing it, I may have said words, or done acts that have sown seeds of unkindness... an act of enemy sabotage.

It helps to be open-hearted about these things... letting the Father show through His mirror how He perceives the situations we find ourselves in, allowing Him to reveal our blind spots -- those areas in our life we are not aware of, but clearly seen by others and by God.

Open the door of self-protection around our hearts, open this door even just a crack... and say to Him, "Show me what You see, Father." Then give Him permission to do so.

And today I am just rejoicing for redeemed relationships.

I cannot force another person to see things from my perspective, but for sure, if God is opening a door for me to walk through, then I know the assignment is not for anyone else to do, but for me.

So today, I am choosing joy... I am choosing forgiveness... I am choosing to let God lead the way.

Unforgiveness is such a heavy load to carry. The enemy is so subtle in tricking us into thinking that we are entitled, or that we have a legitimate right, to carry and nurture offense in our hearts.

In the past years, that was the lie I bought.

Not anymore.

We really have no rights... and where there have been hurts and offenses, my Father reminds me to pray the mercy prayer - "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

That prayer sets me free... opens up a pathway for Him to redeem and heal and restore.

It is a beautiful lesson I have learned... one for which I am truly thankful.

I'm 58, turning 59 in a few months, and God has taught me many lessons through the years. But to forgive someone who has wounded me deeply... to forgive that someone from my heart... is a lesson not easily learned.

To feel so self-righteous and so justified in nurturing a grievance, harboring a grudge... it is an easy stance to assume.


But today, I am just so glad that is not my choice.

I say this with utmost humility... the lesson has been learned the hard way.

There was a time in my younger years when I was spiteful... I was vindictive... I was unforgiving.

It was a dark and oppressive place to be, believe me.

But then forgiveness comes and brings me out into the light... a spacious place to stand.

Forgiveness is the ultimate, and most powerful weapon, in our spiritual arsenal.

Choosing to forgive is an act of warfare against enemy schemes who would rather have us bound and tied in chains of bitterness and a vengeful spirit.

The long and the short of it is that Satan desires to keep us bound in unforgiveness that we might spend eternity in hell.

Didn't Jesus teach (read Matthew 18:21-35) that if we do not forgive our brother from the heart, the Father will also not forgive us? And if we are not forgiven... it can only mean one thing!

What a dreadful and terrible consequence of unforgiveness -- eternity in hell for refusing to forgive!

But really, I can keep no credits for myself. If I am able to forgive, it is only because I too have been forgiven... I can choose to walk in the opposite spirit of the world only by God's power, and by His mercy, I have been given grace... enabled... empowered to look beyond my limited perspective.

However, the willingness to walk down the road of obedience helps.

Another aspect of walking in forgiveness is choosing not to get others to be on our side. The enemy loves to have us give a one-sided version to others about what happened, a subconcious yet self righteous method of self-defense. In bringing others into the arena, a cycle of false judgment is set in motion, instigated by none other than the father of lies, which entraps and defiles those who do not have the benefit of knowing the other perspective.

In my long journey to reaching this place where I now stand, I have realized that the more mature one is, the more quiet and understanding he is about the failings of others, yes, even in areas of deep wounding. It is good for a man to bear his pain in silence. Indeed...there is wisdom in letting our words be few. Taking this road keeps the pathway to healing open.

It has been said that forgiveness is mandated, but reconciliation is not always possible. Yes... in many cases, forgiveness needs to be released if only to set yourself free from your self-imposed prison.

But how much sweeter it is if forgiveness is followed by reconciliation. This I believe is the ultimate goal of our heavenly Father... for did not the precious blood of Jesus Christ flow on Calvary to purchase our forgiveness?

I have often prayed, "Father, let not the death of Jesus on the Cross be put to waste in my life."

Bill Mills, a dear author friend of mine, once said, "As Christians who have truly received forgiveness, we can go through anything with one another."

I believe so, too.

When God opens our eyes to see the truth of what forgiveness can do to us, only a fool would choose the prison of unforgiveness.


So today... on this bright sunny morning, I am thanking God for the freedom and joy that forgiveness brings!

Linking with Jen at Soli Deo Gloria