I feel sooooooo free…Part of me wants to jump up and down. Another part stands in awe that nothing ties me down any more. The wounds still hurt, but they don’t own me anymore. I never thought so much pain on Thursday could lead to so much joy and peace! I’m glad I didn’t give up.”
The above email expresses the freedom forgiveness offers. It also shows the process may be painful.
To forgive means: to—
- send away,
- give up,
- let go,
Using the word FREEDOM to guide us through the process of forgiving, we’ve looked at why we forgive and the need to be real. Today we look at our first E: Emotional.
Getting real about our losses pushes us smack dab up against our pain. If something hurt when it happened, it often hurts to let it go. That’s why forgiving may get Emotional.
If something hurt when it happened, it often hurts to let it go. #healing Click To TweetI’ve sat with countless women, like the one who sent the above email, as they forgave people who’d wronged them. Some hurts were scratches and easy to give up. Others were deep wounds.
Expel the Hurt
Letting go of some hurts is like removing a barbed arrow. It feels like you are causing more harm. But if you don’t remove it, infection will set in and poison you and possibly harm others.
Some fear they can’t face the swirling pain of anger, grief, rejection, and betrayal. It will bury me, and I will never recover.
I’ve found the opposite to be true. Women who expressed gut-wrenching emotions through deep sobs returned the following week in liberated peace. They told me they slept and felt better than they had in years.
Jesus Feels Your Pain
Don’t avoid forgiving because you fear the pain. Jesus knows your agony.
Jesus—
- was overwhelmed with sorrow tothe point of death, sweating drops of blood as He prepared to pay the price for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-44).
. - prayed with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7).
. - pressed through for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).
Ignoring pain doesn’t remove it. We exhaust ourselves trying to hold lids on our boiling emotions aware that any bump could spill their scalding contents. Or, suppressing them limits our capacity to feel pleasant emotions like joy.
How much better to invite the Lord into our pain and let Him empty our boiling pots. Allow your emotions to surface before God, and perhaps a trusted friend. Forgiving, like vomiting, can be messy, but oh the relief expelling the toxins brings!
The loss is real. The process may be painful, but relief and freedom follow.
A woman, I’ll call Jana, forgave the person who broke up her parents’ marriage. A year later, Jana saw ‘the enemy’ at a family function.
“Forgiveness is supernatural,” she said. “God used it to heal my emotions. Instead of feeling angry, I felt sorry for her.”
The process of forgiveness may stir our emotions before it heals them. Press on. Freedom awaits.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness” (Is. 35:10 NLT).
Blessings,
Resources
The Forgiveness Brings Freedom Series continues with Have You Counted the Cost of Not Forgiving?
Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash
Sometimes I link with these great sites:
Tea &Word Tuesday, #Kelly Balarie & Friends, #Recharge Wednesday, #TuneinThursaday, #HeartEncouragment #Dance with Jesus, #FreshMarketFriday, #Grace&Truth, #Faith ‘n Friends
It isn’t easy but I look at it as a form of spiritual detoxification. Any detox isn’t easy, especially at the beginning, but once you get through it you feel so light and free.
That is a perfect analogy, Ann. Thanks so much.
This is a very timely message. When I read your words, “Jesus Feels Your Pain”, I paused and remembered He knows my struggles with forgiving certain people. I feel so awful about having trouble forgiving these people. Yet, Jesus feels my pain. He knows my struggles and He is softening my heart.
Yes He does Melissa! Isn’t that a wonderful comfort and source of hope?
Great post Ms. Debbie. What a wonderful reminder that as we forgive, we release the pain that accompanies the wrong. I loved how you showed it’s safe to bring our pain and inability to God. I believe He wants us to, but so many of us are ashamed to go to Him in a broken state. We forget He is our Creator, He can fix us better than before. God’s blessings ma’am.
J. D., we do forget He is willing and able to restore us. I liike how you said, “better than before.”
Much wisdom and encouragement here.
Your post is very timely for me. Thank you.
My own post this week is somewhat related.
Thanks, Connie. I want to check it out.
So very true. This is wise, Debbie. I’m so grateful God isn’t scared by our emotions and knows how to use them in the process of forgiving.
And to see the emotions Jesus expressed helps too. Thanks, Bethany. Appreciate you.
I have worked very hard at at forgiving 1 person. I know now that God understands this and everything about me. Thank you.
He certainly does, Karen. And we’ll be talking more about that as we go along. I hope you’ll follow the series. Blessings to you.
This is such a timely series for me personally. I spend years owning up to the fact that I needed to forgive those who knew of the physical and verbal abuse I endured….and did nothing.
Unforgiveness can become a
Generational Curse, if not addressed honestly.
Thank you
Wanda, you’re not alone in feeling resentment toward those who were supposedly emotionally healthy but didn’t intervene and stop an abuser. Deep injuries can be layered and complicated. I’m thankful you are finding your way to freedom and breaking the generational curse. May you be filled with joy and healing.