Physical Forgiveness

I was listening to the victims of the Charleston, SC massacre as they painfully poured out their hearts with words of forgiveness for the shooter, and thought about how hard it is to forgive someone. I was astonished by their initial steps in the forgiveness process and now realize one of purposes of this tragedy.  I then recalled this entry in my book:

10 July ~ “Physical Forgiveness”

I have had an issue with one of my staff members being abusive to others. He did apologize for statements he made in an email to me. Even though I didn’t harbor any unforgiveness in my heart against him, I just needed to get to the point of physical forgiveness. Forgiveness is a process.

We can speak with our mouths or write it down that we forgive, but until you demonstrate forgiveness, you really have not forgiven. “Help me Holy Ghost! Show me; let me know what I need to do and how to do it. In the name of Jesus, this is your servant’s prayer.”

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).