The greatest gift to give yourself

By Guest Columnist Scott Phillips

Practicing forgiveness is a gift we can give ourselves every day.

Forgiveness is not about them; it is about me.

Forgiveness does not clear them with God; it clears me with God.

Learning how to pray for those who do us wrong is one of the most liberating and personal purifying acts we can participate.

Learning how to forgive fully and bless those that wrong us is the proof and fruit of our salvation. As Jesus forgave us, we forgive them.

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus’ forgiving, captured in the statement above, is not just a pattern to follow, but a recipe for personal freedom and purity.

Let’s hypothesize that someone dumps cow dung (fertilizer) in your car. Carrying it around does not make them worse, and it makes your experience worse. Get it out.

Your journey will be much more pleasant if you don’t keep other people’s trash in your soul.

“Oh, God, I forgive them. Lord help them, have mercy on them, whatever is wrong with them.”

If the overflow of their life is trash, imagine what it is like inside their life.

Playing the role of advocate to the accusers is counter-intuitive to our nature. However, it is deeply liberating and empowering. This is the Spirit of Christ and the nature of His Kingdom.

Don’t let darkness dictate your attitude, but demonstrate personal victory and freedom.

Forgiveness sets a prisoner free. The prisoner liberated is me.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Scott Phillips is the pastor of Springridge Pentecostal Church. He has been preaching since he was twenty and has been in pastoral ministry since 1996. He is a prolific writer and loves to study and discuss with others the work of God and the truth of God’s word.