GOD’s Love On Top

“Faith To Forgive” Part I

While volunteering, the Holy Spirit highlighted old trauma residue. The “right move” was arduous to discern. With five minutes to make a decision, my mind, heart and Spirit played hopscotch. I asked God for help and learned something interesting about love.

When the residual effects of trauma play out in the body thinking gets blurry. The slightest appearance of the previous experience triggers knee-jerk responses to “safety and comfort “. This particular day I froze up and “got outta dodge”. I judged a little. Guilt faded when I remembered God’s love.

GOD’S LOVE ON TOP

The Holy Spirit revealed three necessary decisions to overcome trauma’s aftermath. Determine to choose “forgiveness, trust and love”. It sounded great but I didn’t know how or where to begin. The concept alone brought up emotional debris. The ‘soul bruised’ areas were still reliving year’s old effects of traumas.

When resistance popped up the Holy Spirit said, “There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). A few seconds later, a word alluding to 1 John 4:20 came to my Spirit. “How can you say you love God whom you never seen, but hate your brother or sister you see every day”?

Me: Oop! 🫣🤭

Us: “🤸🏽‍♀️God I love you” 😇 🙌🏾🙏🏾

Also Us: *sees one we’re angry at* 🤬🥷🏾🖕🫵🏾

“A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE”

The meme perfectly expresses how we look to God and one another at times. I found humor in how quickly “I love _______”, becomes “I hate ________’s guts” when we’ve been hurt or offended with no resolve. The fuming anger and pain we dress up, ignore or project on to others stews and spills over into other areas of life.

The Holy Spirit is quick to inform us that the “love-hate”energy in us is giving Pinocchio vibes. We’re all still learning and growing; young, old, rich, poor, title, no title. The good news is, trauma is bondage we can be freed from (Luke 4:18); if we want to be made whole.

God urges us to come as we are to “the throne of grace”. God is able to heal and restore us. To experience the best in God, we must release the mess in us. Without truth and healing there is no room to extend grace to another. Without trust in God there is no hope or new beginning.

DEFINITIONS FOR THE MISSION

The Greek translation of “hate” is “miseó”. It’s used to express “I hate, detest, love less, esteem less.” Strong’s Word Study further elaborates that miseó means “to detest (on a comparative basis); hence, denounce; to love someone or something less than someone (something) else, i.e. to renounce one choice in favor of another.” Yikes! Webster’s Dictionary defines hate as “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury”. It’s also described as “extreme dislike or disgust : ANTIPATHY and LOATHING”.

TRAUMA DRAMA

Unhealed trauma can subconsciously drive an individual to damage themselves or someone else. Trauma creates false narratives and beliefs. Emotional damage can move someone to try to control how another person is perceived by others. Suffering shows up as sabotaging the self or someone else. Harboring negative emotions robs us of love, time, health, joy and peace.

In suffering, we can misunderstand the intentions, actions and love of others. In anger, ‘seething seeds’ take root and grow into the ugliest trees, tares and weeds. Resentment binds contentment. In pride, words and actions harm rather than heal . Human beings belong to God. We are God’s loved creation. In Christ, we are all one.

TRUTH FOR THE PROOF

I asked God, how do we love and forgive when we can’t forget? The Holy Spirit reminded me of what Jesus endured and forgave. What came to mind next is “if thy brother offend thee, rebuke him and if he repent forgive him” (Luke 17:3). I thought I understood the definition of the words “rebuke, repent and forgive”. Seeing it in context and in the Greek translations hit differently.

REBUKE

The Greek word used for rebuke in scripture is epitimaó. It means “to honor, to mete out due measure, to censure”, “to warn by instructing”.

REPENT

The Greek word used for repent is metanoeó. It means “to change one’s mind or purpose; to change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God)”.

FORGIVE

The translation of “forgive” is aphiémi.
it means “ to send away, leave alone, permit; release (discharge)”. Simply, just let it go fam.

“OH MY GOD”!

The definition of ‘rebuke’ surprisingly didn’t match what I thought. I imagined a harsher landing, similar to experienced ‘religiosity’. However, to “honor”and “warn by instructing” is a much different approach. One uplifts in truth and love, the other accuses and condemns. One can save a relationship, the other destroys. One shames and demeans, the other reverences and offers the opportunity for grace and course correction.

When trust has been broken without sincere acknowledgement, repentance or an explanation, it stings. A person may be unaware of how their words or actions have impacted us. Sometimes, we are unaware of how our words or actions affected others. In some cases, dishonor or offense is intentional for reasons and pain God only knows. Even in adverse cases, we’re still commanded to “love our enemies”.

The Holy Spirit helped me to see that avoiding vulnerability causes us to withhold truth in silence and anger. Concealing our pain inflicts self-harm and alleviates accountability to ourselves and others. Hiding eliminates the opportunity for resolve. Truth helps us properly place relationships in our lives. Transparency creates the opportunity for healing and growth on both sides.

God made us in his image to reflect his likeness (Genesis 1:27). Learning that God’s nature is love, compassion, forgiveness, acceptance, mercy, peace, patience, covering and things alike, demonstrates how far we have to grow engaging one another in the same energy. The love God purposes in 1 John 4:20 is agapaó . Strong’s Concordance notes it to mean: “I love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 describes the unfailing essence of love as kind, generous, humble, respectful, selfless and calm. Love retains virtuous thoughts and grieves iniquity. Love “rejoices in the truth^”. Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

WALK IT OUT, ONE STEP AT A TIME

The Holy Spirit shared, “let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). When God commands humanity to love and forgive, God means all offenses, circumstances, experiences and people held hostage in our memories and rage. Most times it’s the “record of wrongs” we let pile up that keeps us bound. God loves us. God knows and understands our pain. God is faithful and just. God says,“vengeance is mine”. God shows us that forgiveness, trust and love is born of will and decision. It comes from within. We retain the power to choose (Matthew 18:15-20). Through God, we are empowered to love.

CLICK THE PIC OR BUTTON TO TAKE THE “FORGIVE TRUST LOVE” CHALLENGE!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Pray, Believe

SOURCE REFERENCES

1 John 4:18 , Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 61:1-3, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, 1 Corinthians 13, Deuteronomy 31:6, Romans 8:35-39, Romans 12:19, Matthew 6:13-15, John 5:6-23, Mark 4:17-18, Matthew 18:15-20, Luke 17:3, 1 Corinthians 13:5, Mark 11:24, Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 5:44-45, John 3:16, “Forgive” Greek translation aphiémi 863, agapaó 25 Strong’s Concordance, “Hate” Greek translation miseó 3404, Strong’s Concordance, “Rebuke” Greek translation epitimaó 2008, Strong’s Concordance, “Repent” metanoeō 3340 Biblehub.com English definitions Merriam Webster Dictionary. Biblegateway.com,