I recently had my eyes opened to some broken areas in my life through an awesome 3.5 half day forum discussion. I learned that I had been dragging past events into my relationships, resulting in destructive behavior and a lack of commitment on my part.

I thought I had forgiven people from my past but I realized that as long as I held them responsible in any way for the breakdown of the relationship, I had not truly forgiven them.

Without true forgiveness, how was it possible for me to walk in love? Learning this created a desire in me to want to make things right. The thought of doing it was difficult but once I got started it became easier.

I decided to take 100% responsibility for the breakdown of my relationships. Then I sought forgiveness from individuals which turned out to be an amazing and surprising experience. I felt such a release as I shared what was on my heart but what I didn’t expect was the graciousness and the compassion of those who were on the receiving end of my apology. I almost couldn’t believe my ears.

I am thankful for the opportunity to mend relationships and erase the pain of my past today, especially because tomorrow is not promised. The limitations of my past prevented me from being the loving person that I aspired to be.

How can I walk in love while holding ill feelings toward my brother? Now I am free to reflect the image of God, the embodiment of Love.

Can you think of any broken relationships in your life right now? Do you have a desire to break free of all the negativity associated with that? Do you miss your estranged loved ones? You have the power to erase the pain of the past concerning those relationships right now. You have the power to make it right with the people in your life. Will you free yourself today?

Take responsibility for your relationships and fix them today. You cannot control what other people do, you can only choose to love and accept them or leave them alone. To be loving and accepting is the choice that will bring joy to your life.

Ephesians 4:30-32 (New International Version)

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

As much as I love God and love people, there are certain things that I just find hard to forgive. I don’t like to think of myself as the type to hold grudges. I know I am not perfect so I don’t expect anyone else to be.

However, there are some people who I have to forgive every day. That doesn’t mean they do something to me every day. It means I have to renew my decision to forgive them every day because something inevitably triggers the thought of what they did and brings me right back to that place of anger.

I may have removed the person from my life, but I’m left with the residue of what they have already done. I’m left with my indignation, feelings of ‘how dare they do such a thing to Me!?’ I try to be understanding so that I can let it go and never again be moved to anger by the thought of it. I know that people do hurtful things because of their spiritual condition. They cannot help being a jerk if that’s who they really are on the inside (spiritually).

I can continue to be angry with them for being the jerk that they are, or I can remember that I was once a jerk myself. On bad days I can still transform into that jerk! All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us can be transformed except by the Blood of Jesus and the Word of the Living God. Looking at it this way, my refusal or inability to forgive feels more like judgment.

Who am I to condemn someone when I have not been condemned? If anyone wants to hold a grudge, my Father in Heaven could certainly have a case against me! But He chooses to shred those files whenever I come before Him and repent. Jesus died so that I do not have to live in condemnation and commissioned me to pass on that same forgiveness to others.

This is my prayer today: Lord, please help me to be more like You. Help me to Love the way that You do. Help me to see beyond the faces of individuals who treat me spitefully and help me to instead see their hurting hearts – the hearts that You desire to heal. Help me to completely forgive those deemed my enemies. When they fight against me help me to remember that it is not me they are fighting, it is Christ in me that they are rebelling against. I release them to You Lord. I pray that they would come to know You intimately and submit their lives to You. I cannot change the way people respond to me. So Lord, please change me so that I no longer focus on perceived hurt feelings.

Thank You for hearing my prayer. Thank You for all the love and beauty that You surround me with daily. I am truly blessed, thankful and complete in You. I love You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Galatians 6:1-3 (The Message)

^1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.