Forgiving someone is easier said than done, moreso if lives were destroyed by errant ways of the the person.
It took me 7…18…40 years to forgive three different people; my husband caused me great pain three times and the last made me leave him.
But God has a way. He never stopped working. He never stopped pursuing. He worked through my heart to open the eyes of my heart because He knows the desire of my heart: peace. I do not know how my heart turned into stone.
God sent someone and re-introduced me to Jesus. Then Jesus addressed first my relationship with Him—- knowing who He is and who I am in Him. I realized I am a sinner too, no different from the people I refused to forgive, but my pride gets in the way.
My idol was my seething anger and hurts. As I continued with my walk with Him, deepening my relationship with Him, I started forgiving people. Bruce Wilkinson was sent by God who made me attend the CCF conference and there was a lot of realization.
I went down on my knees, asked God to make me more like Him , surrendered all. Prayer and fasting came. I asked God to speak to me; morning came and there was a voice in my head which said “Love your enemies.”
The Holy Spirit helped me,too, telling me to make amends. I had to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I was intentional. Stripped of pride, I was able to forgive. 2019 and 2020 were the years I was able to do it. It broke the chain of unforgiveness.
God gave me a heart of flesh—- stone no more. Now I can truly declare I am a new creation.
2Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,the new creation has come the old has gone, the new is here.
Do I still get hurt? Yes! But sandali lang lalo na pag pagod me. The old Cecille: World War 3, hindi magpapalampas (I will not let anything get past me). I have to resist the temptation of fighting back.
2 Timothy2:2 “Flee the evil desires of youth,pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Now, I know God placed that/those person/s for a reason, the person/s is/are good for my humility—- to keep my feet grounded and head looking up reminding myself that I am a new creation in the trulilii sense of the word.
Galatians 2:20 “I no longer live but Christ lives in me.”
My love tank is overflowing. Thanks be to God for His work on me.
Forgetting goes with forgiveness. Thus, am happy now.. we are happy now. When someone asks me if I had marital, betrayal issue with my husband, I always say “no” because we now have new lives, when we surrendered all to God and became new creation, even the sins of the old has gone. Go back to 2Corinthians 5:17. My way of honoring my husband too in obedience to our Lord.
