A Letter To CenterPointe

Hey CenterPointe, here are 3 things I want to share with you…

#1 Forgiveness Is Not About What Happened To You—don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not saying those things that happened to you weren’t bad, I’m saying you ability to forgive that person has nothing to do with what happened. Forgiveness doesn’t have a scale of 1 to 10. If someone bumps into you and you spill your coffee (maybe a 2 or 3) it’s easy to forgive them and move on. If someone physically, sexually, or emotionally abused you (easily a 10 on the bad scale) it’s really easy to think that person doesn’t deserve to be forgiven or that you don’t have to forgive them because of what they did. Wrong. If anyone had the right to hold on to unforgiveness and be pissed off it was Jesus as he hung on a cross, but he DIDN’T… instead he offered forgiveness to those who wanted him hanging lifeless.

#2 Forgiveness Is Not About What You Want To Do—as I said yesterday, I believe forgiveness goes against our very nature. It’s foreign to us. We’re more likely to want to get revenge than say, “I forgive you.” Feelings are tricky. Feelings influence our judgment. Reread #1… that’s ALL feelings. We get mad and want to get him back. We get depressed and isolate from her and everybody else. When was the last time you offered up forgiveness BEFORE that person said, “I’m sorry” or “Will you forgive me?” THAT’S forgiveness. THAT’S what Jesus did on the cross. Before he breathed his last he looked out at the people who had beaten him and nailed him to a cross and said, “Father, forgive them.” Forgiveness is not about feelings; forgives is about following Jesus.

#3 Who Do You Need To Call?—no, it’s not Ghostbusters. Seriously, who do you need to connect with and make amends? Who is that person that hurt you? Who is that person who betrayed your trust? Who is that person who WAS a big part of your life, but NOW is nowhere in sight because of what they did to you? That person HURT you. Unforgiveness is KILLING you. It’s time to LET IT GO so you can finally LIVE! Forgiveness doesn’t mean you forget what happened, it means you don’t allow it to hurt you anymore. Stop allowing that person to continue hurting you day after day after day because you’re unwilling to say, “I forgive you.” Who is it? Who do you need to call? The relationship might not be restored, but your sanity will be.