People teach their children to hit back. However do they teach them to forgive?
Someone recently asked me about forgiveness. I told her to forgive whomever had wronged her. I explained that holding on to hatred, bitterness or animosity only fills a person with negative energy. A person can only hold so much until he or she explodes.
Forgiveness didn't always come so easy for me. It wasn't easy to give or to ask for. For a long time I thought that if I were to forgive someone I would be showing a sign of weakness. I actually felt that malevolence made me strong. At the same time I knew that asking for forgiveness meant admitting I was wrong. And more so than wanting to seem right I wanted to seem like I didn't care.
All the while I was too ignorant to realize that I was doing a disservice to myself. But one day my grandmother saw me down and out. She didn't ask me what was wrong. She simply said forgive him. Don't hold any ill will towards him. She went on to say you reap what you sow. I thought she meant he would get what he deserved. Now I understand that she was talking about me. If I sat there holding on to negativity and refusing to forgive then that was what I was going to get back. I had to forgive those who did me wrong to at the very least help myself move forward.
Same thing with asking for forgiveness. How was I every to learn from my mistakes and grow as a person if I refused to look at my mistakes for what they were and ask for forgiveness? Hold on to it and you could end up hating yourself.
I have had to ask myself for forgiveness. I have had to ask the LORD for forgiveness. For me this had been a challenge. When you ask someone to forgive you or forgive someone it must be done with sincerity. You may be able to fool your friends, family, boss, coworkers but you cannot fool yourself or the LORD.
Start teaching the young people the strength of a forgiving heart. Thank GOD for His Son my Savior Jesus Christ. He died so that my sins would be forgiven and my soul saved. How could I in my right mind refuse to give what Jesus gave to me so freely.
So no matter what the circumstance please search your heart to ask for forgiveness. Search your heart to provide it as well. Remember once it is done it is done. No need to rehash. At the same time don't be foolish. Walk away from things that are detrimental to your well being.
And always remember when GOD is for you who can be against you.
~Andrea D. Kelly