Letting it go

Personal photo: since Clay and I moved into our home at the end of last summer, this is our first chance at a spring here. This little crocus, the first blooming flower each spring, was a treasure we found by our house. It was so refreshing to see the little petals through the leaves :)

How is it already Palm Sunday this weekend? I feel as though this year has flown by thus far, but at the same time, I am ready for some spring sunshine. Springtime brings with it the refreshing sense of starting new, the shaking off of the rust that comes with winter, and the renewal of hope that blooms with each small flower. I want to first take a moment and appreciate Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, celebrating the arrival and triumphant entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, and the beginning of Holy Week. For Christians today, it is remembering the historical moment of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem, but also celebrating the gift of salvation and the hope of Jesus's return. Amidst the brutal reality that was Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, Palm Sunday serves as a reminder to appreciate the incredible courage and sacrifice of God's only Son. Palm Sunday is a chance for us to remember we have hope, and that Jesus came to save and forgive.

Forgiveness is the key piece of faith in Christ as our Savior. Without Jesus, we are all worthy of eternal punishment, due to our sin. The Law of God is what we fail to live by, how we disappoint God daily, and is where we are found guilty. However, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is what forgives our sins, for He carried the weight of all of our mistakes and shortcomings and paid for them with His own life. Therefore, through Christ we can cling to the Gospel of the Lord, which comes down to our forgiveness. Ephesians 2:8 reminds us of this, when we are told "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." The gift of God that is being referenced is our salvation, our forgiveness. Now, I find forgiveness to be a challenging topic for most, as we find ourselves trying to understand what it means, when we give it out, how to do it, and more.

I want to begin by expressing that forgiving others does not mean that you continue to put yourself in an environment that is unhealthy, does not mean that you have to be around the person you forgave, does not mean that you abandon any boundaries that you have set for your well-being. However, I also want to explain that we, as Christians, are called to forgive those who sin against us, even if they do not ask for it. This is where it gets tricky. Repentance is important. Being repentant for our sins and wanting to do better is a large part of truly believing that God is our Lord and Savior. This is explained in Acts 3:19, where we are told to "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." We have to be sorry for our sins; We have to believe in needing a Savior to therefore believe in the powers of the Savior. So, how can we forgive others when they are not sorry? Are we required to? I titled this article 'Letting it go' because I want to look at forgiveness in this way. When we hold onto our anger, our hurt, our grief, it does nothing but confine us. Even when someone is not sorry, is not repentant, we can still give forgiveness to them, and we do so because of our own faith, not because of theirs.

To dig a little bit deeper into this, I want to reference Colossians 3:13, which states "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." This is why we forgive others; we forgive because we are forgiven. We are not the Lord, we do not have to hold others accountable for sins they are not sorry for, but rather, we can trust in the justice of Christ and give the Holy Spirit the chance to do work in their hearts to help them turn to the Lord and repent. When we let go of the ways others have sinned against us, it frees us from the confinement of bitterness, the sin of judgement, and the shackles of grudges.

Our behavior directly impacts our faith. This is true with everything we do; if we are unkind, how we can be representative of God's kindness, if we behave poorly, how are we appreciating the gifts and blessings from God, if we actively ignore the Holy Spirit, how can we expect to be guided by Him? It goes on and on. Along this vein, Luke 6:37 tells us "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." This verse explains that we are called to forgive others for our own faith in Christ, completely independent of how the relationship is with those we are forgiving. When we assume the responsibility to judge, condemn, and withhold forgiveness, we are forgetting that we need grace, salvation, and forgiveness as well. In this way, we can appreciate and respect the power of God, and not try to handle it ourselves. We let go of the sourness that comes with hurt and we allow God to heal us, to teach us through that experience, and to see His hand working for our glory in every single hardship we face. Forgiving others truly has very little to do with the other person or people, and much more with the peace we find, the love we receive, and the forgiveness showered upon us when we let go of how someone else hurt us or sinned against us.

With Spring being right around the corner, the celebration of Palm Sunday coming tomorrow, and the beginning of Easter week, I find that letting go of the hurt, sadness, and bitterness that can often accumulate during the winter months can be very healing. This is why I wanted to focus on forgiveness, on the renewal of our souls. Forgiveness is freeing, my friends, which is truly what Spring feels like. We begin to open up our windows, go for walks, watch the world turn fresh and green, and so much more. It is truly a new beginning. In this way, we can see how our forgiveness of others, but more importantly, the forgiveness from Christ, can set us free. The fresh hope that comes with remembering the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, the hope of Easter and the resurrection of Christ, and the hope of freedom through salvation all help us to let go of the past, let go of our own sins, let go of anything that holds us back from this hope. Colossians 1:13-14 expresses to us that "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." When I read this verse, it feels like the fresh whisper of a breeze against my face, the warm sun cascading over my skin, the smell of new grass becoming lush with the season. We, just like the seasons that God blesses us with, can begin again, thanks to Jesus.

In Isaiah 43:25, Jesus tells us that "I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." We can wake up in the morning free from the shackles of death and sin. We can let go of the damnation that sin makes us worthy of, and adopt hope in the promise of eternal life. In this way, we are brought back to the power of forgiveness. Jesus wore the weight of our sins, and therefore God forgives us of them when we repent to Him. This turning of the season, this Palm Sunday, this beginning of Easter week is the perfect time to repent, to come to Christ just as we are and ask for His forgiveness, and we will find it right there, at the base of the cross. This forgiveness sets us free, calls us to forgive to others, and allows us to let go of the things that hold us back in life. Psalm 65:3 says "Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, You forgive them all" and it is a direct reminder to us that because of this forgiveness, we can let go of our sins. This is truly a renewal of our faith, a refreshment for our thirsty hearts, and a lifeline to our souls. The metaphor of Spring being representative of appreciating and practicing forgiveness in our lives is so inspiring to me. We all crave the warmth at the end of a harsh winter, the smell of tulips on the cool breeze, the coming back to life. Our souls are the same way; the forgiveness of Christ awakens a faith in us, a motivation to give glory to God through everything we do, and the hope of the second coming of Christ.

I mentioned above that forgiveness is a tricky topic, and I think it is because there are so many different meanings to forgiveness, and different scenarios regarding how we can apply that forgiveness. I cannot define what it means and looks like in your life, but I can express the importance of doing it. When we keep in the forefront of our minds that we are saved because we are forgiven, it makes the process of letting go of hurt, anger, bitterness, and more much easier. Forgiveness is two-fold, as it applies to how we ourselves need it, and how we are called to also forgive others. When we forgive others, and when we appreciate the gift of forgiveness from Christ, we find Springtime awakening in our souls.

Happy Palm Sunday, my friends, and God bless you all!