Letting Go of Toxic Relationships
As a pastor, one of the most difficult and frequent questions I get asked goes something like this: "How long do I keep forgiving people who constantly hurt me?" It's a good question, because Jesus clearly taught that as his followers, we should forgive those who persecute us, and even taught that you should forgive as many as "seventy times seven" times if necessary. What I've learned over the years, however, is that there is a difference between forgiving someone who hurts you, and being in relationship with someone who hurts you. Forgiving someone for hurtful words or actions toward us is something that we are compelled to do as followers of Jesus. We have been given radical and saving grace that we did not deserve, and in turn we are to offer that same kind of grace even to our enemies. Forgiveness is, among other things, the act of setting yourself free--free from pain, free from guilt, anger, bitterness and anything else that k...