They stole my identity, but I will not let them steal my soul. This was a great line from a show my wife and I recently watched. One of the main characters had their identity stolen. It wasn’t just their money that was stolen. They were also robed of their integrity and the trust of their employer, which could have cost them their livelihood as well.
Wait there is more! Their financial loss was so great that, though they were very accomplished in their field, the courts treated them like a child! They had to have someone else pay their bills, handle their finances and ultimately give them a weekly allowance. It was pure humiliation!
How would you react once the person was caught? Anger would be justified. Hatred? Bitterness? What made it worse was that the person who stole from them not only was a friend, but showed no remorse over what they had done. In fact, the culprit blamed the person they stole from for what had happened!
Feel like forgiving? Nope. I once read, “Life is much easier when you learn to accept the apology you never got.” This is so true! Biblical forgiveness is not about the person who wronged you. It’s about not letting them steal your soul.
Yes, we seek justice and restitution, but what if it never comes or the person never cops to what they did? Biblical forgiveness is about working through your pain to be free of what they did to you. People can hurt you, but is that any reason to let them destroy your life?
Think about it. You can either wait for them to ask, which may never happen, or you can forgive in order to be free to enjoy your walk with Jesus and become more like Him. (Remember this statement, “Father forgive them”?) Experience the significance of forgiveness. It sure beats letting the other person continue to rip you off.
Set Free N“O”www