The Lord is our redemption; He teaches us to forgive; He is our source
18Who is a God like you, who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but instead delights in mercy,
19And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our iniquities?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
20You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and loyalty to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our ancestors
from days of old.
Micah 7:18-20
I believe we are tasked to spend our days in this journey, that is life on Earth, aiming to be a vehicle of light in this world.
Resentment, justice, fairness – these are not meant to lead us astray from this goal, nor to out rank the task of spreading light.
It’s true that justice and fairness (as well as humility) are important when tasked with positions of leadership or maneuvering a difficult situation. Yet when struggling through a time when someone has hurt you, taking an emotional stance in the name of justice and fairness only brings more trouble to us and those around us. It can lead to sadness, then to anger and resentment. May we instead, move closer to the Lord and “delight in mercy.”
The more I ponder these deep and powerful emotions and choices, the more I believe that fairness and justice have no place in the process of healing through forgiveness.
We are tasked to be vehicles of light in this world.
In seasons of heartache and struggle, expecting those that hurt us to owe us anything seems to foster deeper resentment. We cannot control their choices, no one really owes us anything emotionally. God is our source of fulfillment and healing.
Maybe all anyone owes at all is a personal goal to be their own vehicle of light. And maybe it doesn’t really have anything to do with me or you. Their choices are between them and God. Your healing is between you and God.
We are tasked to be vehicles of light in this world.
Maybe all anyone owes you, is to do their best to forgive, regardless of and irrelevant to those that did the hurting.
Or maybe they just do not owe you anything.
God is our source of fulfillment and healing.
I have been hurt and I have hurt others. I have found in my own experience, healing is not tied to our ability to talk things out or come to a place of understanding. Our separate journeys of forgiveness and redemption lead us forward on our paths with the Lord.
God is our source of fulfillment and healing. Through Him we can forgive others and ourselves, through Him we can find redemption. We are tasked to spend our days in this journey that is life on Earth, aiming to be a vehicle of light in this world.
Two people, each turning to God for forgiveness and redemption, will find their way back to one another, should their paths be meant to intertwine. Either way, let us follow the Lord, “Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy”.
About the Author
Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.