1 Peter 2:9, New Living Translation

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

The truth is, we are all hurting and broken people. Somewhere along the way in our life, we have experienced some kind of pain or trauma, whether through word or deed. Whether it was from someone close to us or perhaps a classmate that had nothing better to do than use hurtful words against us. Another truth is that we have an enemy who wants us to hurt, to feel pain, to believe the lies that have been spoken over us, whether by us or someone else. Perhaps we have been through a situation that makes us feel ashamed, unloved, unwanted, dirty, undeserving and more. Perhaps someone has spoken words to us that cut to our very soul that makes us question our self-worth and value. These things come from Satan, the accuser of the brethren, the father of lies, the one who seeks to kill steal and destroy.

Here is another truth that I want us to take to heart. God loves you. God wants you. If you are reading this and seeking God, it is because He is calling to you. He wants to save you. He wants to heal you. He wants to show you what you mean to Him. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, NLT, “...for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Something I am learning about and working on in myself too, is seeing others through God’s eyes. When we are able to see people through God’s eyes, we recognize that they were hurt too. It places us in a position to have compassion and to give forgiveness. To forgive from the heart as we previously talked about. It can be hard to forgive. But we must realize that our battle is not with that person. It is with Satan. He is using other people to hurt people. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

I have to admit, I am struggling with forgiveness with some things. I believe that is part of our journey. It is not always an easy thing, but I think the best thing we can do is bring it before our Father in prayer. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. He looks at my heart. He looks at your heart. He knows that we want to pursue Him. He knows that we want that abundant life He promised us, that life of peace, love and joy in the Holy Spirit. But if we are holding onto unforgiveness, we are opening a door to the enemy to torment us. The devil wants us to live in these afflictions to prevent us from fulfilling our destiny that God has for us.

I know that I have talked about forgiveness several times. But I truly believe, from what I am learning, that forgiveness is part of the process of freedom in the Lord. Our unforgiveness can lead to anger which can lead us into sin. That is not what God wants for us. We need to be quick to bring whatever was said or done to hurt us to the Lord. Tell Him what happened. Explain how it hurts you. Then ask Him to see this person through His eyes. Let Him do a work in your heart that will enable you to forgive from your heart. Then, in the name of Jesus, tell that evil spirit that is afflicting you that it has to go in Jesus’ name. If you are struggling to forgive, as I have mentioned, bring it to the Lord. He is our High Priest who intercedes for us because He knows what we are going through. He has “been there” and “done that.” He will help you to work through your unforgiveness. Sometimes it is a process that takes time, don’t give up! The good news is that Jesus will never give up on you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He promises this to all of us. There is no time like the present to do a heart check on yourself. Even David said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, NLT) Let this be the cry and prayer of our hearts today. Let us pursue Christ and let us pursue freedom. “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:36, NLT)