Who Are You Holding Hostage?
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor; A person held by one party in a conflict as security that specified terms will be met by the opposing party; One who is manipulated by the demands of another: a prisoner; One held captive.
To excuse for a fault or an offense; to pardon; To renounce anger or resentment against; To absolve from payment of (a debt, for example).
Three parts of FORGIVENESS:
Injury – Debt – Cancellation
Because we see our hurt for what it is: deep, painful, life changing, truly unfair! Because we allow the Devil to hold onto our emotions instead of releasing them to God; Because we have built a protection around our mind, soul, heart and body because of the repetitive hurt we endure.
How do we FORGIVE our hostage?
By faith, through God; By choice! (It is not an emotional state; it is a choice!) Get help from a spiritual leader. You are wounded so your reactions may not be what they should be. You are “emotionally broken,” and you may need to get help to maintain proper perspective. Stop “reliving” or telling the story over and over again. Many times we do this so we better understand why we are acting differently. Reliving your pain will only make the hurt seem even larger than it is. Realize that the person who hurt you has been hurt themselves. Realize the person who hurt you may have NO IDEA that they have hurt you!
Why should we FORGIVE our hostage?
God commands it! (Ephesians 4:32); Because we have been forgiven by God (Ephesians 4:32); Because if we do not, it weakens us and allows Satan to gain control of us. It is like handing over our emotions to the Devil. (II Corinthians 2:10-11) For your family’s sake; We must realize that the effects of unforgiveness cause “US” to change.
Which hostages should we FORGIVE?
Ourselves – This may be one of the hardest things to do because nobody knows us like we know ourselves; God – So many times we blame God for what happens in our lives instead of the Devil; Others from our past; Pastoral leadership; People in your future; People who do not even know they have hurt or wronged you; The person who doesn’t deserve it!
When should we FORGIVE our hostage?
Immediately! NOW! To put it off only breeds bitterness as well as misery!
People say we should “forgive and forget,” yet this is one of the hardest things to make ourselves do. If we sincerely forgive, God will help us forget as much as possible. We naturally can’t “literally forget” the event or person who hurt us so deeply, but we can decide in our heart to “let it go” and “never use it against them again.” Just like God has done with our sins. He knows we have committed them but has removed them from His thinking entirely! This takes immense spiritual strength and fully yielding our hearts to God. Life holds plenty of hurts for each of us. We will not finish this life WITHOUT being hurt! Accept this as a part of life and decide now to FORGIVE so when you are wronged, it is an instinct to forgive and not to hold someone as your hostage!