Riding back from a family visit, the passenger, I will call Lola (not real name), mentioned how something was said to her and it really hurt her. It had been over 6 weeks since the statement was made but she said thinking of the statement made her cringe with pain. I informed Lola that many people get Cancer just by holding on to some hurt caused by someone else. That bitterness of any kind not just hurts the bearer emotionally, but eats you physically as well in terms of health. The solution, not easy I know, is to let it go.  Not for the other person who planted the seed of hurt n your life, but for yourself. Forgiveness does not mean you have to trust the person again, it just means you have let the offense go – let it go.

You are perhaps well versed with the story of the prodigal son. A boy loved deeply by his father chose to betray him by asking for his inheritance prematurely and choosing to leave his home for a far away land. When children begin to ask for inheritance, it sometimes hurts the parent because it is assumed the child wants the parent dead so they can get an inheritance. As hurt as the dad was, he did give his son the inheritance and bade him farewell. He cried day and night watching as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months, and the months to years. One day as He sat on his roof, He saw his son coming back. In that moment, he forgave all that the son did wrong, ran to him and embraced him back. The father did not die of grief partly because he –  let it go.

What is that thing you are holding within you that should be let go? What is that offense someone, perhaps a spouse, did that you are yet to forgive. What is the bitterness eating you inside? It needs to go. Don’t allow that person rule you, let the peace of the Holy Spirit flood your soul instead. There are 7 billion people in this world, don’t let that one person cause havoc to the glorious future God has in store for you. Let it go today.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:- Matthew 6:14