AN EYE FOR AN EYE (THE FINAL PART).
(A STORY OF UNFORGIVENESS WRITTEN BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE)
While I was still nurturing hate towards my offenders and making plans on how to avenge myself, a lot of opportunities came. I met with guys that are obviously bad guys, I started mingling with them so that I would use them as leverage to carry out my revenge plan.
One day, I was in church and there was a teaching on forgiveness, it was as though the pastor that preached knew what was on my mind, as in, he was speaking to me directly. Then I realized that forgiving my offenders is actually for me; so that my heart would be free and I won’t be at risk of hell. I understood that he who forgives does himself a favour, and not the offender.
People of God, you know what? I forgave them, I mean everyone connected to that terrible ordeal. I aborted my revenge plan and I found genuine peace in Christ. Praise the Lord somebody!
This is not the end of the story, but permit me to digress a little so that I can quickly address a few things before we continue…
From experience, I have observed that people treat offence in three ways:
1. THE FIRST CATEGORY NURTURES UNFORGIVENESS BUT WITHOUT A PLAN TO REVENGE.
This category suffers most. They give bitterness free accommodation in their hearts and keep hurting. In the long run, they may go down in sickness due to lack of peace and may die, death is not the end o, they will go to hell. Meanwhile, the person that hurt them may not be aware of all they are going through. Imagine such foolishness! …forgive me please.
2. THE SECOND CATEGORY ARE THE ONES THAT NURTURE UNFORGIVENESS AND ALSO PLAN REVENGE.
This was where I used to be before I got exposed to the knowledge of the light of God. The devil cheated me for a long time, making me believe that the only way I would find peace is after revenge. Lies of the devil! Haven’t you heard of people who commit suicide after taking revenge? You’ll feel worse after revenge oo. Don’t subscribe to the cheap lies of satan.
Make I ask you self…If you get revenge, how are you better than your offender? I know you can do better, you’re a good person, revenge is not for you.
3. THE LAST CATEGORY ARE THE ONES THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY FEEL HURT, THEY FORGIVE ANYWAY.
This is the category that God expects His children to be. It is okay to feel hurt, but God has given you the grace not to dwell in that mood till satan leverages on it to preach vengeance to you. Forgiveness is another sign of spiritual maturity. If you are finding it difficult to forgive, then you’re still an infant Christian. You need to grow!
Well, I understand that If some of us are to narrate the evil that people have done to us, even death is not enough judgement for such wickedness. But we MUST forgive anyway. For a child of God, forgiveness is not optional, forgiveness is not a choice, forgiveness is God’s commandment.
Let me quickly add this one; IT IS THE LIE OF THE DEVIL THAT EVEN IF A PERSON FORGIVES, HE CANNOT FORGET. It is very possible please. But bear in mind that forgetting does not mean the memories of the event will be wiped out and you won’t be able to recall even if you try. If that happens to you, you’re probably suffering from amnesia. You should see a doctor ASAP.
If need be, just the way I’m doing now, you would still be able to remember and even talk about an offence committed against you, but talking about it won’t hurt you. The memories won’t make you feel bad and the memories won’t unnecessarily reoccur in your thoughts. When you have gotten to this stage, you have forgiven and forgotten ✌️👍🏻💪
Like now, I have forgiven and forgotten everything that Hook up Hantie and others did to me, but I want people to learn from my experience, and abort all sorts of revenge missions, that is why I am sharing. If I can find Hook up Auntie today, whatever God lays in my heart to do for her, of course, I will gladly do it!
Take note also that it is not necessary that your offender realizes his sins first and must come to you to plead for forgiveness before you forgive. What if your offender never apologizes? God can give you the grace to forgive without questioning.
See, anyone who dies in unforgiveness will end up in hell. Now, imagine that I had died all those times I was nurturing hate and planning revenge? I would have gone to hell oo. I for go hell untop the beating wey I chop for police station. The most painful possibility of it all is that the woman would make heaven if she later becomes born again. I for just go hell banza (in vain). I believe she will do me “ntoor” when she sees that I end up in hell because of her.
Look at it this way; what if the people you have offended are also planning revenge? Don’t even say you have not offended anyone. It is possible to offend someone and not be aware. Maybe I would be dead by now if everyone I offended wanted vengeance.
See, by forgiving your offenders, God can turn those you have hurt and are planning to hurt you back to your benefactors. They will just find themselves loving you. The book of Proverbs 16:7 says “WHEN A MAN’S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM”.
Look at forgiveness in another light; you forgive, first, because God says so, then because of you, not because of your offender. Unforgiveness hurts you more.
Cast your mind back to the Lord’s prayer that you recite every day, that says “FORGIVE OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US” (Mathew 6:9-13)……This means, if we don’t forgive our offenders, God won’t forgive us too. You can’t survive a week if God is to punish you for every of your sins.
Remember also that God said in the book of Romans 12:19 that vengeance is His. 👇👇👇👇👇
“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”
My brothers and sisters, leave revenge for God, He has said he will get justice for you, and He is a God that is ever faithful to His words. Revenge is not your duty, surrender that department to God. If you want to take revenge yourself, IT MEANS YOU’RE TELLING GOD TO STEP ASIDE, THAT HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE’S DOING AND YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT BETTER. Taking revenge is very dangerous oo, make e no come happen say na you wey no dey at fault go still collect at the end. Just calm down, everyone will certainly reap whatever he/she sows.
Okay, let me gist you guys the most recent part of the event…
Just last Month, I travelled to Kwara State for my friend’s wedding.
So I decided to look for that my big auntie that took me to Kwara that year. I sourced for her number and called. She was so surprised to hear from me. So I collected her house address and I took my wife and son and we paid her a visit the following day.
That Auntie ehn, always a sweet soul 😁😁. Immediately she sighted me, she first started by measuring our heights, I am now almost twice as tall as she is. I am now a big boy oo😁😃😃.
This auntie no dey even fear ‘Manogor’, she was slapping my ‘ogo’ (back of my head) in the presence of my wife and telling my wife how she used to carry me on her lap to school, that I was a very stubborn child 😁😁😃😃
My wife too was confirming it, that I’m even more stubborn these days…..you need to see the way this other gender teamed up against me fa. 😁😁😁😀😄
I’m so happy about the condition I met her, she’s doing very well with her husband and children.
We started catching up on all the gists we have missed. We talked about secondary school days, I reminded her how the senior students were giving me love letter to give her and they would buy me lunch and spare me whenever my class was to be punished and how she was doing shakara for them, feeling like world’s finest 😁😁 (I know my seniors that are reading this now are trying to rack their brains to know the person I’m talking about. Make una no stress unaself, una no fit solve this Mathematics 😜😝😛🤪😜).
Then I dashed into the incident of the phone theft. She told me her sister moved out of that house after some time, so she didn’t hear from Tunde since then (the guy that stole the phone). She also does not know the whereabouts of Alhaji. That one only came to flirt with Hook up Auntie, and took a moment to cause trouble.
She said Simo (The Ghanian guy) was opportuned to travel to India for a job, he spent a few years there and by the time he returned, he had already made it. She said Simo is now a proper BIG MAN.
I even called him and he said we’ll arrange for reunion…..I’m looking forward to it.
As for Hook up Auntie, hmm, she’s in a pathetic situation. I was told that one of her sugar daddies got her pregnant, denied the pregnancy and abandoned her. So she fell back to a house that she inherited from her father, she was collecting the rent to meet her needs. Unfortunately for her, her older siblings collected ownership of the house from her and threw her out. I was told that right now, Hook up Auntie is currently on the street of Ilorin with her child begging for food.
If your mind just echoed “God catch her”, then you need to beg God for the spirit of forgiveness. Please, do not say she deserves it, rather, we should be praying to God to have mercy on her. May God overlook her trespasses and favour her in Jesus name.
Okay, let me say this one that may provoke some people; what about treating your offenders in a very unusual way? What about praying for your enemies? E dey Bible oo, and Jesus wey be our role model do am 👇👇👇
Matthew 5:44-45 says “But I say to you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (NKJV).
Do you still remember how Jesus was praying for those nailing him to the cross?…Yeah, we need that kind of grace!
Here is another reason you should not consider vengeance 👇👇👇
“Do not be overcome by evil, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.” (Romans 12:21).
Beloved, if you desire to forgive all your offenders but you find it too difficult, then you obviously need the grace and spirit of God. The spirit of God is an enabler, It will help you to accomplish the most difficult things easily. I am telling you in all sincerity that you need to first accept Jesus Christ before you can receive the spirit to forgive easily.
The devil has made you suffer with those grudges that you bear. The devil has been cheating you by making you believe that what your offender did is too much to be forgiven. Enough of that torture, it is time to experience genuine peace, come to Jesus, come and experience genuine rest, free your mind, forgive your offenders, cry it out if you have to. Drop the burden, lay it at the feet of Jesus.
I pray for everyone whose heart is heavy that the spirit of God rests upon you this minute and restore your peace in Jesus name.
Here is a quick task for you; take a moment to reflect on everyone who has offended you in the past, think deeply, try to recall them all. Now, say it out loud that you have forgiven them. Say it and mean it! Mention their names if you have to…
Please forgive your mother
Forgive your father
Forgive your brother and sister
Mummy forgive your husband
Daddy please forgive your wife
Forgive grandma
Forgive your neighbour
Forgive your friend
Forgive your uncle
Whoever it is that has offended you, PLEASE FORGIVE AND FORGET.
Trust God that it is settled.
In conclusion, I want to use this medium to sound a note of warning to everyone using their power and position to oppress the helpless, STOP DIGGING YOUR OWN GRAVE! No matter how long it takes, you will reap whatever you sow. May you not offend someone that will not forgive you. Don’t invoke the wrath of God, you can’t survive it. Be careful!
If you are reading this and you know you have hurt someone badly, please make restitution, confess your sins and plead for forgiveness. There’s no peace for the wicked, and karma is near. It’s too dangerous to waste more time, go and make reconciliation. This is another chance for you to make things right, grab this chance!
See what the Bible says in the book of Romans 12:18 (NKJV) 👇👇👇
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN”
May God soften every heart that is hard towards forgiveness and give grace to forgive. May God touch every bitter heart to embrace the peace that Jesus gives.
Forgive!
Forgive!!
Once again, Forgive!!!
Do you have questions, contributions or observations? The comment section is open, you are also free to send a direct message.
Thanks for your time and patience.
©John Adesogan
Forgive and Forget
To earth is human to forgive is Divine