Day 107 - Forgiveness Leads to Freedom

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Forgiveness Leads to Freedom Day 107 How do you know if forgiveness has taken place? "You'll know that you are forgiven if you can let God's love flow through you to that person," says Doug Easterday. "If the person walked in, would you let that love be expressed? "If you answered no, then forgiveness has not taken place. "'Well, he or she doesn't deserve it.' Then forgiveness has not fully taken place. "'Well, I don't know if I can.' Then forgiveness needs to go deeper. Forgiveness is like an onion; there are layers to it. The first layer of an onion is still an onion, but there is more onion underneath. Forgiveness often has layers to it. Forgiveness is not entirely complete until all the layers are gone, and then you can say, 'I can forgive, because I choose to.' When you can let the Lord flow His love through you, then you can say, 'I know that I'm walking right with God in forgiveness.'" When you have forgiven, you are free and released from self-induced bondage. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15). Father, grant me the ability to forgive and free my heart to love again. Amen. Through a Season of Grief The daily email messages you are receiving are also available in a book format. Purchase as a gift for a friend or buy a print copy for yourself. Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard is available at online and local bookstores or at griefshare.org/devotional. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755