I SAID TO FORGIVE EVERYONE

“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.” 

Ephesians 4:30-32 KJV

Years ago when I worked in nursing homes, I heard several residents talking about when they were children.  Some of them said “My parents used to take me out to the woodshed to correct me when I did something wrong”.  Has God ever taken you to His woodshed?  It’s not much fun but it is necessary.

One of the definitions that I found for woodshed in Webster’s Dictionary is “a place, means, or session for administering discipline”.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He corrects us when we disobey Him.  However, when He corrects us He always reassures us that He still loves us.

Several months ago, I asked God to search my heart and if there was anything that hurt Him to reveal it to me so I could get my heart right with Him.  He said “You need to forgive those who hurt you” so I prayed and asked God to forgive me for not forgiving everybody who had hurt me.

A couple of weeks ago while I was praying, God said to me “I said to forgive everyone.  You haven’t forgiven yourself”.  It is very important that we forgive ourselves.  If God can forgive us, how dare you and I not forgive those who have hurt us and that includes forgiving ourselves.

Joanne Lowe

May 7, 2015