We struggle with forgiveness because we really don’t understand it. We have be taught all kinds of things about forgiveness. Some of it was true, some were half-truths (which by the way are “whole” lies), and some of it was plain old bull (a Greek emphatic for “a bunch of worthless garbage”). Some of it was biblical, some it was psycho-babble, and some of it was nothing more than lies from the devil.

Perhaps you are being held hostage right now to a specific moment in your past—a person’s words or actions. Perhaps it was a deep disappointment that hurt, offended, wounded , or emotionally destroyed you. And…you’ve never dealt with it—with that infection that is hidden deep within you and affects you in ways no one knows but God. Perhaps you pushed it all so deep into your soul that your conscious memory can’t retrieve it, but the enemy is still destroying you with it. Perhaps it’s a pride issue or some misplaced code of honor. Perhaps for some of you it’s an unspeakable atrocity that was perpetrated against you and was beyond your control. Perhaps in the beginning whatever it was wasn’t a big deal, but now it has morphed into a major issue. Perhaps you think you need to forgive yourself or you’re still angry at God because you blame him for what happened. Whatever it is—it is killing you and you know it.

To truly understand forgiveness, we must first understand the anatomy of unforgiveness. We must dissect it and see how it works. Unforgiveness comes with causes and a deadly curse. Once we shine the light on the darkness of unforgiveness, the cost of forgiveness and the cure it brings to the spirit, soul, and body will be better understood and easier to grasp.

It is vital that you understand two simple things. First, all you need is faith to take this journey, and rest assured, forgiveness is a journey. It will take faith to face the past, but God will give it as you need it if you will turn to face it. He is faithful. He has all the strength you need and the desire of his heart is to heal you.

Secondly, you must surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He wants to lead some of you into places you may have forgotten. In doing so, he will allow you to make a choice to step out of the past and into your future. The Holy Spirit will do this gently and he will take as much time as is needed. He knows you far better than you think you know yourself. Trust him! He will walk with you. He will not embarrass you. He only wants to heal you.

Some of you are just hard-headed. You know what you need to do, but because of pride, honor, or the need to get even, you refuse to do it. If you continue to read these blogs, I promise the Holy Spirit will bring a deep sense of conviction not condemnation. Conviction is one of his works and it means there will be no doubt in your heart that your refusal to forgive is wrong. He will convince you and you will not be able to refute the truth he presents. He will show you the futility of what you are holding on to and call you to repentance. Then the choice will be yours. If you repent, he will bring you to the place where you can forgive and he will heal you.

The journey awaits but the path is perilous and tough. Hold God’s hand and he will make sure you reach the destination of forgiveness.