forgiveness – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

Each month we’re looking at a requirement that guides us to a specific result which will ultimately fill our lives with love, gratitude and the serenity we desire.

THE LAW OF FORGIVENESS

REQUIREMENT: FORGIVENESS

RESULT: FREEDOM

“FORGIVENESS is a choice that does not necessarily involve the person we need to forgive. It’s a one-sided transaction, a unilateral extension of grace. So there’s really no excuse for not forgiving others as God has forgiven us.” ~ The Twelve Laws of Recovery

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ~ Colossians 2:13-14

The law of forgiveness frees US from our pain.

When we continue to walk in unforgiveness because someone has hurt or betrayed us, we put ourself in bondage to that hurt and to that person. We become trapped with bitterness and resentment and ultimately hurt ourselves as well as our relationship with God.

When we’re able to forgive others we release that relationship and free ourselves from the painful bondage of the hurt from our past.

If you want a life of recovery, you must be willing to forgive. ~ The Twelve Laws of Life Recovery

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

CONFESSION: an admission of misdeeds or faults to God or another person.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. ~ Psalm 139:23-24

Since God desires to give and forgive, He has put in place the process of redemption which started at the Cross and was confirmed with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is because of Christ’s holy work and through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can make our confession and know that forgiveness is possible.

The Spiritual Discipline of Confession is a difficult one for us because we often choose to see our community as one full of saints rather than a fellowship of sinners. All the more reason for confession to be a priority in our lives. When we are able to help someone struggling with their lives it helps us to know we aren’t alone in our struggle with sin. If I am left alone in the confession of my sin, I stay in the dark. It is in the light of mutual confession that healing power is released and lives are transformed.

In some Christian traditions there are formal printed confessions spoken as a congregation or to a confessor. There are many advantages to this method.

No more excuses or blaming. We confess that we have sinned by our own fault.
Forgiveness is expected and given. With words from a brother or sister our forgiveness is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Remorse is experienced. We use this time to consider the seriousness of our sin against God.

Confession journalling is another avenue to consider. As we go about our daily lives we can process our various sin struggles in a diary or journal. This can be a sweet time of self-examination with the Lord at the end of the day.

The most common view of confession is that spoken to another person. But before we run off and start sharing our deep dark secrets we must take care to find the proper person. Key qualifications we should look for are: spiritual maturity, compassion, wisdom and the ability to keep a confidence.

Having found a confidant there are three things we must check before we begin.

Our conscience ~ We invite God to show us where we need healing and forgiveness.
Our sorrow ~ We are taking our confession seriously because we know we have offended God.
Our desire to sin ~ We ask God to help us live holy lives from this point forward.