Let Bygones Be Bygones

It was in that moment, the thought hit me, “Well, have you let your bygones be bygones?” I took an introspective look at myself, and surprisingly, my honest assessment revealed that I was unsure of an answer. I’ve told myself I have forgiven. My prayers often include this. The more I thought about it, the worst I started to feel. Of course I’ll think about certain hurtful events now and then, but have I forgiven completely?

Before you judge me, you might want to look within yourself too. Have you truly learned how to forgive? Have you truly forgiven him, her, them? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

To forgive is hard, isn’t it? It is even much harder to do when the person who hurt you has yet to admit wrongdoing.

Sometimes we start beating up on ourselves saying, “It’s my fault for going, saying, trusting, caring, helping, and the list goes on. And when we are not doing that, we are secretly seeking revenge.

But the truth is, when self is put aside, forgiveness can be easy. When we start thinking less of ourselves, and more of others; the prosperity of the one who did the hurt. Bizarre way of thinking, I know. But it’s the Christian way of operating. We just need to learn how to love as Jesus loves.

Philippians 2:3 comes to mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

ESV…

Beside, Jesus taught us the art of forgiveness.

“’Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”

(Matthew 18:21-22.)  

He meant that they were to forgive as often as he sinned. Their forgiveness was to know no limits.

The only way this can be done is when one loves unconditionally, and takes his own hurt self out of the way.   

The story is told of a man and his cow…

A man milking a cow was kicked by the cow and in an attempt to kick the animal back in revenge, he slipped and lost the bucket of milk he already got.

The lessons speak volume as to how we can forgive;

• We need to learn that seeking revenge could cause more harm than good.
• If the man had left without bothering to kick the cow back, he would have gained a bucket of milk.
• There is a bucket of milk in our hands.
• It may be a high position we have labored to attain, a friendship we have built for years, marriage, job, health, baby etc, you have been praying for. Seeking revenge may lead to loss of any of these.
• Just forgive, let go and move on so that greater things will not be lost.
• Is it not even ridiculous that the man tried to kick the cow back instead of running with his bucket of milk?

Let us look around us, there are “cows” that will kick us by deliberately hurting us daily or at any given opportunity when we are trying to achieve our dreams in life.

Our enemy, the devil wants us to kick them back so that our buckets of “milk”will be empty.

We are to be wise of the devices and ploys of the enemy.

Forgive! Let bygones be bygones.

Merry Melodious Melody-