Forgetting what you forgave

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your
Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

It's not easy to forgive certain things that people did to you. Speaking around the country,
I tend to deal with all kinds of people issues. I am finding that there are Christians
that have been carrying around unforgiveness in their hearts for years. Bitterness, hate, malice, etc.
are all products of unforgiveness. Even wrath, which is the spirit that drives our youth cultures of
this day. Daddy wasn't there, momma couldn't be there, uncle did this, aunt did that! Molestation, rape,
indecency, neglect, abuse, etc. have caused many of us to carry pain and hurt that we find hard to
let go of. I was a victim of sexual abuse, so I know the pain of carrying it around. But in order for me
to truly move into the calling God had for me, I had to forgive and forget. Not forgetting the act that
was perpetrated upon me, but forgetting the people that did it. I had to forgive them and pray that
they find grace in God's sight. I know that is hard to do, but it's not impossible. There is a way
to approach a situation like this so that the past hurts can be healed.

God told me to check my past. There were a lot of people that I hurt as a result of my own pain. There
were a lot of sins I committed as a result of my own issues. There was a lot of people that I needed to
forgive me because I had done them wrong in some way because of what was done to me. So, when
God showed me that, I was able to say "forgive them lord, as you have forgiven me!" We many times focus so much on what was done to us, until we can't see what we are doing to others. We talk about how we were hurt
but don't want to talk about how we have hurt others as a result of our pain. Lying to folks, cheating on
folks, stepping over folks, and misleading folks are results of hidden pain. Sleeping around, getting
involved with people because you "need someone" to cover up your loneliness and pain is just as
wrong as being sexually violated. Using people and then dropping them because of your
insecurities is not good. We must understand that these things are results of pain and unforgiveness,
and if it's not dealt with, it will develop into a character flaw that will govern our actions for the rest
of our lives. But when we truly forgive, we can move forward instead of moving in the direction
of the pain we are still feeling. I'm telling you people of God, in order for us to pray effectively, live
holy, and be in line with the righteousness of God, we must first forgive those that hurt us.

Suggested Reading: Matt. 18:35, Mark 11:26, Luke 6:37, 2Cor. 2:10, Phil. 3:13