Forgiveness
–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breathe, you can begin to clear your mind.–
- Breath in by saying or thinking “forgive”
- Breath out by saying or thinking “me”
-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-
Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!”
turn back because of their shame.Let all who seek you
Psalm 70
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!
I do not have people who are wishing me harm at this point in my life. There have been times I could list people who were seeking to do me harm. At times, if asked, I would list people as being my enemies, and yet these people were not as concerned about me as I thought they were. They were just trying to live their life in the midst of a tough situation. When I came to realize that those I think are doing me harm are really just trying to live their life in the best way they can, I began to think differently about who my enemy was. I do not see that many enemies in my life now. Instead, I see people who are struggling.
Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Part of loving your enemies is offering them the grace that Christ has given you. By remembering that they have lives that are just as hard as yours are, sometimes even harder, we are able to give our enemies grace in the midst of a tough world.
- Who are your enemies?
- Take some time to put yourself in your enemies’ shoes.
- What might be happening in their lives?
-You might want to write your response down.-
Forgiving God, thank you for your forgiveness, and please help me to forgive my enemies. God, it is hard to forgive those I do not like, and even harder to forgive those who do not like me. Please be with me as I strive to forgive. Oh Lord do not delay. Amen