Forgiveness is Not Psychology but Supernatural
Forgiveness as a decision making exercise is psychology, not supernatural. It is akin to trying not to be angry when someone has intentionally hurt you; or pretending you have no feelings about the loss of a loved one. Detachment always is born of humanism. Submission to God is always born of trust. So do we trust Him enough to take our weakened , weary and battered hearts and make them new? Or do we buy into the slick sales job of the enemy that declares we must just decide to forgive and feelings will follow. It is true feelings will follow; feelings like resentment, anxiety, anger and frustration, not to mention their offspring sickness and depression.
But what about this approach, the heavenly one? Cast your cares on me for I care for you or humble yourselves under His Mighty hand and He will exalt you in due time? How do you humble yourself in regards to forgiveness? Be honest...tell Him you don’t want to forgive, you don’t even know how to forgive, if you did want to. Then give Him permission to forgive them through you. (This is classic, I no longer live but Christ lives in me). You do not manipulate or coerce this forgiveness. It is supernatural, just like loving your neighbour (that you may not even like). You make the request and He does the work. Easy. You will find that He either removes all the hatred, rage and emotion within seconds or several days, or....? Just let Him do it at your pace. He knows you inside and out, fearfully and wonderfully made. This is a lasting forgiveness, not one you have to top up each day with confession or mind control.
To turn forgiveness into a decision, eliminates our need for God in this most delicate human process. How can we forgive someone who molested our child, or us, or betrayed us vilely, or stole everything we owned and left us penniless, or even lied about us to others for their own gain without Him? We can’t. We can pretend that we have, but each one knows his own heart and if even the thought of them makes us wild or sick or enraged, forgiveness has not occurred. But the Father does not demand it on a silver platter. He says to lean on Him, cast it on Him, submit to Him. If DIY (Do It Yourself) methods were His command why would He urge us to come to Him? Why would He tell us that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness? It isn’t self-sufficiency that draws His attention and favour, it is humility. In fact He declares the humble will receive grace but the proud He will resist.
How arrogant is it to think we can forgive the unforgiveable without Him? Forgiveness is a gift from the Father...called Jesus Christ His Son. We all received it undeserved. Do we actually imagine that we can conjure up what is undeserved in and of ourselves? No wonder multitudes of Christians remain trapped in a cycle of anger, condemnation and defeat. Forgiveness is only a request a way. That request is made to Our Daddy, Abba, Father to whom we have bold and confident access 24/7. We admit, “I can’t, but You can. I give You, Lord permission to forgive them through me.” Then let Holy Spirit transform your very heart. You can’t, but He can. How simple, how gracious, how like Him. The Spirit of Liberty takes over and we reap His sweet benefits. Let freedom ring in our hearts through the One who now lives in them.
