SAVIOUS-PARKER KWINIKA
True Gospel with SAVIOUS-PARKER KWINIKA
FORGIVENESS is generally something very difficult to deal with, even among Christians, believers or the so-called born-again!
It is not easy despite Jehovah God urging us to exercise it due to the pain, discomfort, suffering, torture and heartache at the hands of the perpetrators.
This topic is not an easy one I must confess, but Jehovah God inspires me to take it head-on and personally.
My brethren, before I wrote this week’s True Gospel message, I prayed deep, fervently, passionately, wholeheartedly and sincerely so that the Almighty Jehovah God gave me wisdom in self-introspection and thereafter.
Without self-analysis, soul-searching, heart-searching, introversion, self-observation and self-absorption, this subject would have been futile, fruitless, pointless, useless worthless, thwarted, unprofitable, hollow, valueless, hopeless and doomed.
But here am I! Glory be to the Almighty Jehovah God for giving me the courage and strength to confront this subject despite its uneasiness.
I must confess, even prophets, church founders, bishops, pastors, evangelists and elders would have found forgiveness very difficult to practise or apply yet they preach about it in church every time of worship.
However, for forgiveness to take centre stage, we truly need Jehovah God to intercede, mediate and step in, otherwise all will be in vain.
This is why many churches today fail to practise what they preach simply because they themselves are not ready to lead by example like our Lord Jesus Christ did.
Believe me, the devil knows very well about such believers’ weaknesses in their effort to escape from Lucifer and his demons in order to become true children of the Most High God hence throwing the spanners on your works.
So, as I write this topic following fervently praying and petitioning Jehovah God to pour His Holy Spirit, mercy upon my heart, mind and soul, therefore I saw no reason to be scared but take the subject head-on.
Brethren, how many times have you been hurt by someone you love or loved so much? Have you ever been backbitten physically, emotionally or spiritually in business, relationship, social life or politically by people you trusted so much only to realise they are ten times worse than the devil himself?
Have you ever been exposed to abuse emotionally, physically and spiritually? How did you react to that?
Have you ever been physically assaulted by your loved one, your older brother, sister, parent, police or even relative for no reason? How did you feel?
Have you ever been cheated in a relationship by someone you so loved much? Have you ever been backbitten in business by a person you called a business partner only to realise he or she is cruel to steal your ideas in order to make them his or her?
Have you ever been wrongly accused and later on the culprit does not come to apologise?
Are these past experiences haunting you?
As a result of wrong accusation or such deliberate character assassination, are you stuck or have moved on?
How has been your community’s perception of you since the wrongful accusations?
Well, after pondering all these questions, Jehovah God said to me, “Son – Savious-Parker Kwinika, this is where the actual journey of genuine, actual, real, authentic, true, sincere and heartfelt forgiveness begins.”
Like said before, some people can forgive those that would have wronged them yet still experience nightmares about their tormentors.
Sometimes it feels like the person who wronged you was a demon or devil himself, who should rot in hell or Gehenna. So what exactly is forgiveness? What does it feel like?
As a journalist fully grown in the things of Jehovah God, I would tell you forgiving someone doesn’t mean you have to re-enter in any sort of relationship with that person.
Forgiveness is all about letting go of the past and moving on where we normally do not feel as hurt or affected.
Just because you forgive someone does not mean that you have to re-enter into any sort of relationship with them.
Sometimes you forgive people, but then you may also need to keep them out of your life. I call that good boundary management.
The more we personally think about the past, the stronger the attachment, and thus forgiveness is put off like an unfulfilled chore.
Now comes Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:12-14 “…..and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen! For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
I know it is not easy to forgive because you may be scared of this fear of getting hurt again or else you may believe that the person who offended you deserves punishment.
Trust me, I know it is not easy to forgive because you feel misunderstood and find it hard to trust or let the offensive party in, and sometimes the language being used by those that would have wronged you continues to make you hold onto memories longer hence not forgiving.
Sometimes we do not easily forgive simply because there is too much anger that causes a lack of self-control. That is normal but we need the Holy Spirit to come in to help us.
Believe me brethren, when someone does something to upset you, it can be hard to let that go and move on.
However, harboring frustration or ill will towards someone else is actually just self- punishment.
This True Gospel can take you through to several bible verses about forgiveness to help you in that situation. Some of the scriptures are about how we must forgive, yet without being forgiven.
Interestingly, Jehovah God wants us to forgive because forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance.
I like the biblical verse on Matthew 6:14 of the New International Version, which states: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Jehovah God says in Mark 11:25 of the New Living Translation, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
We are also taught not to judge others so that we will not be judged too.
This True Gospel is further confirmed in Luke 6:37 of the New Living Translation: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”
There are so many advantages and benefits of forgiving the people who wrong us every day.
Some of those benefits include peace of mind but at the same time whosoever forgives would easily prosper and covered themselves from future crimes or offenses when we found ourselves outside the law.
Proverbs 17:9 of the New Living Translation also confirms this True Gospel, “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”
1 John 1:9 of the English Standard Version, attests, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The underlining factor is that ALL unrighteousness we do to others shall also be forgiven in totality.
Remember, what one does to others will always be done unto them. That is poetic justice: the nature of the fact of experiencing a fitting or deserved retribution for one’s actions.
My favourite apostle of all time, Paul of Tarsus wrote in Ephesians 4:32 of the New International Version confirming this True Gospel, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
To be compassionate to one another means forgiving, sympathetic, caring, sensitive, warm-hearted, loving, merciful, tolerant, kind-hearted, good-natured and well disposed.
Colossians 3:13 states. “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Finally, it is bad to be always preoccupied with hostility and resentment because with time this hurts the person who was wronged initially.
If we truly take away hurt and hate from our hearts, we shall enjoy emotional, spiritual and physically peace.
Empirical research confirms that true forgiveness brings happiness, healthier minds, enables us to empathize with others, gives us more spiritual or religious links to Jehovah God, enables us to be more capable of reestablishing closeness in relationships and most importantly helps to improve relationship with God as well.
As I wrap up this True Gospel which Jehovah God has shared with me, I say to you Brethren, wherever you are, learn to forgive because this is the best way to deal with your memory of wrongful pain.
Forgiveness always gives you an opportunity to be free of the pain and probably help other people, even the person who hurt you. It is your choice to embrace what this True Gospel is teaching so that we may live in harmony, peace, love and joy.
However, if you insist harbouring and clinging on to your past experiences, this will definitely have some consequences in your life such as losses of joy, hope, a walk with Jehovah God, health, vitality and freedom.
Failure to forgive will lest consume you and you become like any other offender.
Those who believe in this True Gospel, say amen!
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