As I was going through counseling for depression and help with overcoming the effects of abuse, I expected that the topic of ‘forgiving‘ would eventually come up and my therapist would hand me a paper with the five easy steps to forgiveness. Well… that didn’t happen, and even though I hoped for some quick formula, what I didn’t realize then, but I do now, is that the answer to forgiving was right in front of my face and only consisted of two words…..Jesus Christ. He was the way, the truth and the light. Through Him, I could not only be forgiven for my own sins, but I could also learn how to forgive others. My new found formula to forgiving was learning how to apply the enabling power of the Atonement to me personally and transfer the burden I carried for years unnecessarily, to Him. But how? This sounded a whole lot harder than what I had hoped for.
One might say, why would you want to forgive someone who intentionally abused you? Let me tell you why. Not only is it commanded in the scriptures but also….. for everyday I did not forgive, I allowed my perpetrators to continue to have power over me and abuse me mentally and emotionally.
Forgiving did not mean that I accepted what happened to me as okay. Nor did it mean that I would be friends with, or associate with these persons. It simply meant that I would give the burden I carried, (which consisted of anger and sometimes hatred) to my Savior to do with what He saw fit. This transfer would free myself from the chains Satan had wrapped around me. Chains that were affecting not only me but people that I loved, as I didn’t always treat others as I should have.
As I counseled with my church leaders, I was encouraged to study the life of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. But I couldn’t figure out how to actually forgive and transfer my burden to the Lord, freeing myself from the anger and hurt. And so I just continued to seek counsel, pray, study, and serve others. And then one day, all of the sudden I realized that the Miracle of Forgiveness had quietly happened to me. Others noticed a change in my countenance before I did. Although I still remembered my past, it just didn’t matter anymore. Those perpetrators would not be allowed another day of controlling my thoughts or actions. I guess you could say it was swallowed up. Such an indescribable feeling.
I feel lighter, happier and so grateful for The Healing Power of Forgiveness which comes only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ has already paid for your suffering!
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