Cut Lose

John 8:³² “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” …³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

For us to live free, we must experience three dimensions of freedom; freedom from the Pain of Yesterday, freedom from the Pressure of Today, and freedom from the Pessimism of Tomorrow. In order to be totally free from the pain of yesterday, you must confront yourself with these questions. What have you never gotten over; is it the abuse – physical, verbal, or sexual? Is it the memory of ridicule and rejection from your parents, or from your siblings? What have you not gotten over? Is it the pain of the mockery from your peers? Or perhaps your math teacher said you can never know math and now every time you see math, you break out in sweat. Maybe a failed marriage or a failing relationship. Even right now, what is it that makes you cringe?

Who do you have a grudge against? You have to let it go, because Jesus wants to set you free. Particularly when it comes to people, people will always let you down, you have to let it go. Years ago, a couple of my friends were praying for a lady that was covered in shingles. I am all for prayers that put God’s power on display – always excited. So, when I got to church and saw them, I was pretty excited to join them. The prayers were intense, and I felt God saying, “She needs to forgive her father”. So, I told everyone to hold on and I engaged her, but the moment I mentioned forgiving her father, her countenance changed. She literarily looked like demon, she said, “Who are you to tell me that I should forgive him? Do you know what he has done?”

She went ahead to narrate her stories and the man obviously had done horrible things. After she was done narrating the ordeal, I reminded her that she was the one bearing the pain. I encouraged her again to forgive her father and she said, “If this is how God wants to punish me then let it be!”- It is interesting how sometimes we think it is God punishing us, but we are the ones actually causing ourselves pain – At that point, my friends continued to pray but I left the place. I do not know how to pray that kind of prayer. I do not know what happened to her, God may have been merciful and healed her.

The point is, why hold someone so tightly in your heart against your own destiny, does it make sense? God is saying to you today let it go, let the healing happen, let the forgiveness happen and as it happens you will be free and restored in Jesus Mighty Name. The truth is the more you hold on to the pains of the past, you will not see the gains of the past. Let it go!

Prayer: Father, I step out in obedience to Your voice and I let go of every pain in my past. Let Your healing, forgiveness, and restoration begin in my life, in Jesus Name. Amen!