When we’ve been hurt really bad, I mean REALLY BAD, forgiveness can be very difficult. Sometimes we don’t even want to see them.
When and if they feel godly sorrow for what they’ve done and want to ask us for forgiveness, we sometimes find ourselves not wanting to hear them out.
We have all been on both sides of this situation. We have both had to give and seek forgiveness.
When we are the one who has been wronged, it takes great humility and strength to put aside the pain of how we’ve been hurt to grant forgiveness to the one who has hurt us, but remember this…
IT TAKES JUST AS MUCH STRENGTH AND HUMILITY TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AS IT TAKES TO GIVE FORGIVENESS.
Asking forgiveness involves admitting we are wrong, swallowing our pride, and dealing with the pain that we have caused to the person we are asking forgiveness.
It’s easier to forgive, when we remember how it feels to be the one who needs forgiveness.
Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Have you ever stopped and realized that someone was trying to…
Use you?
Manipulate you?
Take advantage of your kindness, your resources, your love?
Many times they will think that you are naive because you are allowing them to use you.
Many times others will think you’re weak because from the outside looking in, they think you’re allowing yourself to be taken advantage of.
But, if you are fully aware that someone is ‘using you’ but you’re using their manipulation for your purpose to help them, to help someone else, to give them time to grow, to exercise godly patience, kindness, love, or self control…then they really aren’t using you.
If someone thinks you’re naive when you’re aware of what’s going on, does that make them naive themselves?
Think about it. When God continues to lavish us with His love, provision, protection, grace, mercy and forgiveness when HE ALREADY KNOWS we will hurt Him again, is He allowing us to USE Him?
When Yeshua demanded that we continue to forgive someone 77 times if they continue to hurt you and ask for forgiveness…is that allowing yourself to be used? (Matthew 18:21-22).
When Yeshua taught us to turn your face to allow them to strike you on the other cheek…is that teaching us to be used? (Matthew 5:39)
When Yeshua teaches us to loan looking for nothing in return… is that exposing us to be used financially? (Luke 6:35)
Look at how God Himself used Assyria to punish His disobedient people and then dealt with them later. He used their arrogance, ambition and pride for His purpose…
Isaiah 10:5-7 (ERV)
5 The Lord says, “I will use Assyria like a stick. In my anger I will use Assyria to punish Israel. 6 I will send Assyria to fight against the people who do evil. I am angry with them, and I will command Assyria to fight against them. Assyria will defeat them and take their wealth. Israel will be like dirt for Assyria to walk on in the streets.
7 “But Assyria does not understand that I will use him. He does not think of himself as my tool. He only wants to destroy other people. He only plans to destroy many nations.
Isaiah 10:5-7 (NKJV)
5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.
The fact is that life as a disciple of Christ will set you up ‘to be used’. Real, unconditional love sets you up to be ‘used’ sometimes.
But, an emotionally intelligent, godly minded person who is walking in the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23) know how to make the most of every opportunity to share God’s love and leave behind a testimony…
Ephesians 5:16 (NIV)
Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
BE BLESSTIFIED! 