THE BLESSING OF FORGIVENESS
Today, I want to inspire you to open your heart to experience t
he blessing of forgiveness. The
word blessing is defined as a beneficial thing for which one i
s grateful, something that brings
well-being. It is important to understand that forgiveness is
for our well-being. The Lord knows
what is best for us. This is why He commands us to forgive.
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness.
So, why is this so important to
know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the sh
ort end of the stick when you
operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are not.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the church at Co
rinth in II Corinthians 2:10-11:
“
To
whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it
, for your
sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are
not ignorant of his devices.
”Today, I want to inspire you to open your heart to experience t
he blessing of forgiveness. The
word blessing is defined as a beneficial thing for which one i
s grateful, something that brings
well-being. It is important to understand that forgiveness is
for our well-being. The Lord knows
what is best for us. This is why He commands us to forgive.
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness.
So, why is this so important to
know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the sh
ort end of the stick when you
operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are not.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the church at Co
rinth in II Corinthians 2:10-11:
“
To
whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it
, for your
sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are
not ignorant of his devices.
”Today, I want to inspire you to open your heart to experience t
he blessing of forgiveness. The
word blessing is defined as a beneficial thing for which one i
s grateful, something that brings
well-being. It is important to understand that forgiveness is
for our well-being. The Lord knows
what is best for us. This is why He commands us to forgive.
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness.
So, why is this so important to
know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the sh
ort end of the stick when you
operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are no
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness. So, why is this so important to know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the short end of the stick when you operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are not.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the church at Corinth in II Corinthians 2:10-11: “To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
You see, unforgiveness allows Satan to get the advantage over us. However, forgiveness allows us to get the advantage over him. So, you should never feel that you are coming up on the short end of the stick when you operate in true forgiveness. So, let’s look at some of the Blessings of Forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:30-32 says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Forgiveness allows us to experience freedom to properly move forward in life. You must forgive, so you can put the past behind you. As long as your past is before you, it will block you from properly seeing your future, and it will also hinder you from embracing your present.
You see, unforgiveness keeps us emotionally trapped, which can result in different types of unhealthy emotions like bitterness, rage or anger. Bitterness is a smoldering resentment or wrath that produces rage. Rage is the heat of passion in the moment of anger. Anger is a more internally deep form of hostility or clamor[1]. You cannot allow yourself to stay trapped in these emotions, because it will rob you of God’s best for your life. Forgiveness is the key to getting free from these emotions. It is time for you to experience a freedom in your life through the Blessing of Forgiveness.
The second Blessing of Forgiveness is that it allows us to experience a new beginning. God’s open display of forgiveness through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, opens the door for a new beginning. Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” It is through His forgiveness that we are able to have a new-found relationship with Him.
Forgiveness will always leave the door open for a possible “new start” in your relationship with the individual that you are forgiving. It is the key to leaving the door open for a possibility of another chance with that individual. However, please remember that forgiveness does not mean that you should continue to put yourself in the same position to be mistreated again. Forgiveness means that you are not holding any resentment, hatred or wishing any ill will towards that particular individual.
Let me share a story with you about a new beginning. A young couple in my church was about to have their first child, which caused the wife to think about her husband’s situation with his father. The husband knew of his father, but he did not have his father’s last name. The wife wanted her husband to have his biological father’s last name, because she did not want their daughter to grow up carrying a last name that was not her true identity. So, she asked her husband to talk to his biological father about signing his birth certificate, so he could have the same last name as his biological father. This would allow him to pass his biological father’s last name to his daughter.
Initially, he did not want to ask his father, because his father was not involved in his life. She continued to be persistent, but he still refused to do it. Eventually, he got his hands on the book that I wrote, “Where is Daddy?” After reading the book, he shared with his wife that he would follow through with her request if his father would first read the book.
So, they sent the book to his father. His father’s wife called and told him that his father was brought to tears while he read the book. So, he and his father decided to meet. They both expressed their feelings, and because he was willing to forgive his father for not being there for him while he was growing up, they were able to experience a new beginning in their relationship. The name was changed on the husband’s birth certificate, which allowed their newborn child to carry her true identity. The father and son have a good relationship now, because of the Blessing of Forgiveness. As I stated earlier, forgiveness opens the door for a new beginning.
The last thing that I want to share is that forgiveness keeps us in good standing with our Heavenly Father. Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” So, if you have been struggling with forgiveness, it is time for you to forgive, so that you can walk in your new-found freedom.
You might be saying that the individual does not deserve my forgiveness. That is exactly right. Forgiveness is not something that is earned or deserved. Forgiveness is something freely given. I have been confronted with this many times in my life. It hasn’t always been easy, but I had to choose to forgive. Forgiveness is an act of your own will. If you can see the blessing in forgiveness, then maybe it will become a little easier to forgive.
[1] Clamor: the cry of strife or contention; out of control and, lastly, evil speaking in the form of slander.
Bishop Ronald Hardy, Sr. is the Pastor of Faith, Hope and Love Worship Centers of Baton Rouge and St. Francisville, Louisiana a multifaceted ministry touching the lives of many. He is a preacher, teacher, prophet and author. God has given Bishop Hardy a Ministry of Restoration.
Bishop Hardy has authored two books, one that will enrich marriage entitled, “A Loke Like This” and the other one “Where Is Daddy?” A book that brings restoration to the hearts of fathers and the fatherless. He also authors the Daily Word, a Monday-Friday devotional that helps people navigate through their daily life. This daily Word can be viewed on the face book page of Faith, Hope and Love Worship Center.
Bishop Hardy is married to Robbin Hardy and they have four living children and seven grandchildren.
