We all have different fingerprints because God ordained each of us to leave a different imprint on earth. As we go through life, we will be challenged by disappointment, betrayal, or abandonment. The closer people are to us, the greater the pain may be when we perceive that they let us down. It can be easy to bring that pain forward, allowing it to serve as an “invisible lid” limiting the jar that holds our future. Yet, unforgiveness is not protection, it is pride. God’s word reminds us that what we choose to let go of, determines what we can pick up. While we may feel the urge to isolate for protection, God calls us not to suffer in silence; rather, to cast our cares onto Him and cling to Christ, who understands our pain. Our pain need not control us; God has already broken the barriers created by our past, and removed the “invisible lids” from our lives.

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Forgiveness: Setting the captive free only to realize you were the one imprisoned

1. Family, Friends and Foes

In times of  personal suffering, we may be tempted to think, God does not feel our frustration; but our Lord knows all about having people stand against Him, especially on a personal level. It might be easy to forgive someone you don’t know well, but forgiving the people closest to you can be hard. Jesus experienced betrayal and rejection from his family and friends. Even the religious leaders of his time hated him although he had done nothing wrong. Oftentimes, it's wounds like these that cut deepest; being accused in spite of your innocence, being let down by someone you valued when you needed them the most , and being spurned by your very kin. 

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“For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” - John 7:5

2. Forgiveness

Acknowledging the pain is the first step to forgiveness because if you can’t feel it then you can’t heal it. The next step is to humble yourself before God and letting go of the pain and letting God heal you. We can let go of bitterness, offense, or vengeance by receiving God’s mercy, grace, and peace.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34 NIV

Offense in our life can be seen as an inevitable event that is bound for us to experience, but remaining offended is a deliberate choice. When it comes to forgiveness, offense, bitterness, and anger.. We have a choice. We can choose to remain in an unnecessary boundary of pain, or through Christ, we can choose to let go, and break the barrier. It is possible, because by the death on the cross, Jesus made it possible. When we choose to let go of the hurts that keep us bound, it enables us for what we are meant to pick up; freedom, joy, and peace. Everything is impossible, until it’s not. Forgiveness seems impossible, until it’s not. Break the barrier; let go of bitterness and pick up peace, let go of anger and pick up joy, let go of vengeance and pick up reconciliation.