Holding onto Offenses

So, our Pastor has been doing a series on offenses. Since we were out of town, I missed the last two weekends, but I caught up on them online this week. I was really praying that God would show me where I've taken offense, and He showed me something as I was praying last night.

I mentioned briefly that my ex-husband was abusive. I realized that, as long as I held onto that offense, I was tied to him and I was bound by the offense. I prayed and asked God to forgive me for being unforgiving to him and for hanging onto all of the hurt that he caused me. As I prayed, I began to picture a little girl in her daddy's blazer. She was laughing and shaking her arms around. And as she shook them, money began to fall everywhere. Coins of all shapes and sizes began to pour out of the sleeves. I wondered what the symbolism in this could be, so I asked God. What He showed me is that holding onto offenses (whether we were truly wronged or not) costs us so much. It costs us our happiness, our joy in life, who we are in Him...the cost is high. But as we release those who have offended us, we become free from that "debt," from the high price we are paying to hold onto our hurt.

I don't want anything to do with that past offense. I want to give it to God and be free. We will be singing a song this weekend for praise and worship that sums it up pretty good. It's called "Moving Forward" by Free Chapel:

Chorus:
I'm not going back
I'm moving ahead
I'm here to declare to You, the past is over
In You old things are made new
Surrender my life to Christ
I'm moving moving forward

V:
What a moment You have brought me to
Such a freedom I have found in You
What a Healer You make all things new
Yeah Yeah Yeah

V:
You have risen With all power in Your Hands
You have given me A second Chance
Hallelujah Hallelujah
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Yeah Yeah Yeah

You make all things new
You make all things new
I will follow You forward

Let's put offenses behind and move forward in a new freedom and in a new enjoyment of life.