LETTING GO: THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS - A FAITH BASED HUMANITARIAN AND EVANGELICAL ORGANISATION

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SERIALISED PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HELP YOU LIVE A FULFILLED LIFE.

THEME: RECEIVE AND BE FULFILLED

DAY 8 OF SERIES 30 (SUNDAY 28T^H APRIL 2024)

TOPIC: Letting Go: The Freedom of Forgiveness

AUTHOR: MARY LAWRENCE-DOKPESI

SCRIPTURE:

“Let go of anger, abandon rage; Do not fret—it only leads to evil.” (Proverbs 27:3)

Letting Go: The Freedom of Forgiveness

Imagine a heavy stone chained to your ankle, weighing you down with every step. This stone represents the burden of bitterness, a grudge held onto someone who wronged you. Forgiveness isn’t about condoning their actions, but about releasing yourself from that weight.

This verse reminds us that clinging to anger and bitterness ultimately harms ourselves. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves, a chance to break free from the prison of resentment.

What Next?

The path to forgiveness starts with a choice. Choose to release the person and yourself from the burden. Don’t let their actions define your present or future.

Consider this:

Write a letter of forgiveness, even if you never send it. Pour out your hurt and anger on paper, then release it with a symbolic gesture like burning the letter.

A Powerful Prayer:

“Lord, I release [name of the person who offended you] from the chains of my unforgiveness. Heal the wounds in my heart and help me extend Your grace, just as You have forgiven me. Amen.”

Remember these encouraging verses:

Ephesians 4:31-32: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Proverbs 11:17: “A kindhearted person does good to themself, but a cruel person brings trouble on themselves.”

Forgiveness is a journey, not a destination. Take heart, with each step you release the burden and choose peace.

Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi

Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi was born in Nigeria to Patrick Abuda Obeakemhe and Juliana Fatimatu Obeakemhe, both from Ogbona Town. With a master’s degree in law, she was called to the bar at the age of twenty-two, and she is currently the principle partner of the law firm Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi & Associates. She is also the founder of two philanthropic organizations: the Living Waters Mission and the Rose Croix Foundation. In addition to law, Lawrence-Dokpesi was drawn to spiritual pursuits at an early age, having begun studying philosophy, theology, chaplaincy, and spirit therapy by the age of eighteen. Inspired by her spiritual calling, she has produced ten intensively researched manuscripts on spiritual matters. Although Understanding the Spiritual was the last to be written, it is the first to be published. Lawrence-Dokpesi is a mother and a wife living in the city of Abuja, Nigeria.