Forgiven

Forgiven

Luke 5:23(New International Version, ©2011)
23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Back in the days when Christ walked the earth, people had a strange idea about their own suffering. They believed they were suffering because they did something wrong, committed a sin and God was punishing them. They even believed it when their child was ill. They thought it was their fault. Christ knew differently but was not about to argue with them before He healed them. He could heal their bodies but if they thought they were being punished, judged for some kind of sin from God, and left them believing it, then the healing would only be partial. Whatever "sin" they were guilty over, needed to be "forgiven" before they could heal all the way.

You can tell a veteran over and over again, they have nothing to feel guilty over, but if they believe they are guilty, it will do you no good. If they believe it, you need to get them to understand they are forgiven so they can see themselves and what they had to do differently.

There have been many reports of soldiers being replaced by someone else. They carry guilt over the death of their replacement saying "it should have been me" and not being able to stop thinking someone died in their place. Are they guilty? Do they really have anything to blame themselves for? Would telling them their life was saved for a reason help them? No to all of these questions. Telling them their life was spared enforces the thought the other one died in their place. You need to help them understand they were not responsible for the death because they did not plan it that way. That is the only way they would really be guilty of anything.

They feel guilty over most deaths, especially involving civilians. Could they have done something differently? What if they didn't do what they believed they had to do at the exact moment they had to decide what to do? If they only focus on the outcome, they will not remember what happened before that moment.

When a veteran has been suffering for their service, most of the time their families suffer as well. There is a lot to be forgiven for by the family when the pain the veteran carries is taken out on the people they are closest to. The family also needs to be forgiven when they do the best they can but lack understanding. When everyone is doing the best they can at that moment but suffer they need to find peace with all of it. A lot of forgiving needs to happen or the wedge between family members will never be removed.

If you are a veteran and believe you are being punished for something, then ask to be forgiven for it. Remember there is nothing you cannot be forgiven for. When Christ was taking his last breaths upon this earth, while nailed to the cross, He asked God to forgive the people for doing it. You will be forgiven for whatever you believe you need to be forgiven for. You also need to forgive yourself.

If you are a family member, try to understand as much as possible so that the mistakes you made in the past will not be repeated. This will also help you to forgive your veteran for the way he/she acted. It will help you to forgive yourself. You didn't know any better at the time, so you acted out of what you knew. You will allow love to grow back again in your family and this will ease away the emotional pain you carry.

Everyone can heal and be happy again but it takes a lot of work and a lot of faith. It is not as easy to forgive yourself as it is to forgive other people but at the end of the day, when you do forgive yourself, you will lay your head down in peace.

Sanctus Real Forgiven Lyrics

Well the past is playing with my head

And failure knocks me down again

I'm reminded of the wrong

That I have said and done

And that devil just won't let me forget

In this life

I know what I've been

But here in your arms

I know what I am

I'm forgiven

I'm forgiven

And I don't have to carry

The weight of who I've been

Cause I'm forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind

And I'll relive my days, in

the middle of the night

When I struggle with my pain,

wrestle with my pride

Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

When I don't fit in and I don't

feel like I belong anywhere

When I don't measure up to much in this life

Oh, I'm a treasure in the

arms of Christ

Doctors and help your mind with medication. You can help your body feel better by eating right, getting more rest and even taking walks. Until you learn how to find peace in your soul, you will not heal the pain within. Be forgiven and forgive others in your life. Then you will heal your whole life.