FORGIVENESS
«For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me»
(Psalm 51:3).
In the Scriptures, there is a list of brave warriors known as «David’s mighty men.» Among them was Josheb-Basshebeth who killed eight hundred men in just one battle. It was an outstanding accomplishment among his many others. He is followed by Eleazar who, on one occasion, brutally wounded his enemies that his hand got stuck to his sword. There was also Benaiah who had the audacity to kill lions and fight against other great warriors with just a spear; and he came out victorious. Above all, there were three mighty men who were not afraid in breaking through the enemies’ camp in search of water for their King (2 Sam. 23:15-17). And David himself who defied lions, bears and giants since childhood (1 Sam. 17:36) and was the subject of the admiration of young ladies who made theme songs and dances out of his deeds (1 Sam. 18:7).
Those men needed a lot of courage to fight for their people. In the same way, we must have courage and the help of a greater power to help us deal with and admit our mistakes. The fight is against the «I’ (ego) and being armed with a series of defense mechanisms which will try to oust everything that produces unrest and anxiety out of the conscience. Anna Freud (1966) identified nine mechanisms, among which are the following: a) denial, involves denying or rejecting events from awareness, even if there is evidence they occurred; b) projection, attributing your own mistakes to oth ers; c) rationalization, giving a rational explanation of the facts or offer an excuse in order to bear personal responsibility.
Now think about it: have you ever hurt someone with words, decisions or actions? Ask God to help you identify if your mind activated any of the unconscious defense mechanisms as they can be an obstacle in your way of asking for forgiveness and eventually becoming guilt-free. Some day, «men and women [are] to be brought to face their own sins and to frankly acknowledge them. To says ‘That mistake must be charged to my account,’ requires a strength of inward principle that the world possesses in but a limited degree. But he who has the courage to say this in sincerity gains a decided victory over self and effectually closes the door against the enemy.» Testimonies to the Church, vol. 4, ch. 29, p. 336).
Jorge Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis, said: «The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. And the first to forget is the happiest.» Today, encourage yourself to be more courageous.
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores: Alejandra Zavala & Magda Sanz
