Morning, Ladies!
How was your weekend? Ours was wonderful—the weather was great! It kept promising rain, but it never came. Since our boat is almost leak-free, I found myself actually hoping for rain, but alas, it stayed away.
On Friday, Andre made a shop run, and on his way back, he got water. I thank the Lord that he took all four jerry cans because, just as he was putting the dinghy back on her spot at the dock, the gear lever of the engine snapped right off.
I had been watching for months as Andre applied more and more force to get the gear lever to engage. It had been stiff, stubborn, and uncooperative, but instead of stopping to service it, the pressure just kept increasing—until it finally gave in and broke. I don’t know if opening it up earlier and tending to it would have changed the outcome, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much this reflects our spiritual lives, especially when it comes to our relationship with God and this week’s topic—forgiveness.
Just like an engine, our relationship with God needs care. If we ignore the warning signs—stiffness, resistance, or struggle—and just keep forcing our way forward, eventually, something will snap. Unforgiveness works the same way. If we let it build, refusing to address the hurt, refusing to open it up before God, it will weigh us down. And just like we found ourselves stuck on Anchored In Hope with no way to get to shore, unforgiveness can leave you stranded—unable to move forward, unable to reach where God is calling you.
So, as we enter this week, let’s examine what it means to maintain our faith and our hearts. Are we holding onto things that need to be surrendered? Are we nurturing our relationship with God, or are we forcing our way forward until something breaks?
Forgiveness:
Forgiveness… How much of us hold on to it? The bitterness, the anger, the pain – we keep it close, thinking it’s a form of control, protection. But what we don’t realize is that unforgiveness is not just a passive act. It is a root. A deep root that quietly spreads through the soul, poisoning everything it touches. When we let this bitterness grow, it seeps into our hearts, minds, and bodies. We feed it, and in return, it feeds us anger, resentment, and fear.
I know this from experience. I know the weight of holding onto a wound so deep, a pain so unfathomable. The hardest thing I ever had to forgive was the trauma, the rape, and the abuse I faced when two men broke into my home, while I was pregnant and alone with my 18-month-old little girl. How do you forgive such a thing? How could I ever let go of the horror and devastation they left behind?
The truth is, I didn’t realize at the time that in holding on to my unforgiveness, I was giving even more of my power away. I was letting the attackers continue to control my heart, my emotions, and my thoughts. I allowed the anger to become my voice, the bitterness to become my identity. I let fear have the final say. I didn’t know then that I was losing myself in the very thing I thought would protect me.
Forgiveness is letting go of that false sense of control. It is surrendering to the one who has the power to heal and restore, even the deepest scars. Jesus, in His grace, enters the broken places. He speaks into that small voice inside us, the voice that tells us we are dirty, unworthy, too broken to be loved. He says, “I see you. I see your pain, and I love you anyway. You are not your hurt; you are not your scars.”
Forgiveness sometimes feels like the hardest thing in the world, especially when it feels like you’re being asked to let go of the very thing that feels like your last grasp on self-preservation. But in forgiving, we don’t just release the person who wronged us; we release ourselves. We stop being held hostage by the past. We let Jesus fill the space that anger, shame, and bitterness once occupied.
It’s not about denying the pain. It’s not about saying what happened to you was okay. It’s about giving that hurt to Jesus, trusting Him to make something beautiful out of the ashes.
“Just as an engine needs care, so does the heart—nurture your faith, and let go of what holds you back.”
– Gwennie (Women Anchored In Hope)
Let go, girlfriend. Let go of the control you think you have. Let forgiveness heal your heart. Trust that in releasing the bitterness, the anger, the shame, you are making room for peace, for freedom, for the love you’ve been yearning for all along.
Worship the Father in this act of surrender.
How Do We Forgive? Practical Steps From Scripture
Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice. It is an act of obedience to God, trusting Him to deal with justice in His own way. Here are some biblical steps to forgiveness:
1. Acknowledge the Pain and Bring It to God
Before we can truly forgive, we must first be honest about the pain. God does not ask us to pretend we are unhurt. Instead, He invites us to bring our wounds to Him.
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
2. Recognize That Forgiveness Is a Command, Not an Option
Jesus made it clear that forgiveness is not based on whether we feel like it. It is an act of obedience to God.
Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
3. Surrender the Right to Retaliate
When we hold onto bitterness, we want justice. But God reminds us that vengeance is His, not ours. Letting go means trusting Him to be the judge.
Romans 12:19 – “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
Proverbs 20:22 – “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and He will deliver you.”
4. Pray for Those Who Hurt You
This may feel impossible, but praying for those who hurt us is one of the most powerful ways to release bitterness. When we pray for them, we begin to see them as God sees them—lost, broken, in need of grace.
Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Luke 6:27-28 – “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
5. Replace Bitterness With God’s Truth
When we hold onto unforgiveness, we tell ourselves lies: “I am still a victim. I am still dirty. I am still broken.” But the truth of God says otherwise.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Isaiah 61:3 – “To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
6. Choose to Walk in Forgiveness Daily
Forgiveness is not a one-time event. It is a daily choice. Some days will be harder than others, but when we continue to surrender our pain to Jesus, He carries the weight for us.
Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Galatians 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Letting go and Giving It to God
Forgiveness is not always easy, but it is necessary. Holding onto unforgiveness is like forcing a rusted lever to move—it only makes things worse until something finally snaps. But when we bring our hurts before God, when we listen to His Word and surrender the weight of unforgiveness to Him, we find the peace we’ve been longing for.
God does not call us to forgive because the other person deserves it—He calls us to forgive because we need it. It’s an act of trust, a step of obedience, and a doorway to healing. When we choose to forgive, we are not saying that what happened was okay; we are saying that we trust God to be the righteous judge, and we refuse to let bitterness keep us stuck.
So today, let’s stop forcing forward what needs to be surrendered. Let’s open our hearts, listen to His voice, and allow His grace to do the work in us that we cannot do on our own. True peace is found not in holding on—but in Surrender.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your endless mercy and grace. You have forgiven us more than we could ever deserve, and yet, we often struggle to extend that same forgiveness to others. Lord, You see the wounds in our hearts—the places where bitterness, pain, and resentment have taken hold. We bring them before You now, surrendering them into Your hands.
Help us to trust You with our hurts. Teach us to listen to Your voice above our emotions, to lean on Your wisdom instead of our own understanding. Fill us with Your peace as we release the burden of unforgiveness. Remind us that forgiveness is not about excusing wrongs but about freeing our hearts to walk in the fullness of Your love.
Lord, we give it all to You today. Heal what is broken, restore what is lost, and let our hearts be anchored in Your truth. May we live in the freedom that comes from trusting You completely.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
