Most of us perceive that we have done some form of wrongdoing or made a mistake or an error at some time in our lives. There\u2019s something about we humans on this planet that no matter what we do, we seem to find that eventually we come around to an error or a mistake. That\u2019s rather universal in this world. You\u2019ve probably heard it said, \u201cTo err is human; to forgive, divine.\u201d I think that knowing our divinity and ourselves as spiritual beings in this world has a whole lot to do with what forgiveness is all about.<\/p>\n
For the word \u201cforgiveness,\u201d the dictionary notes two definitions. The first definition is \u201cactive pardoning someone for a mistake or wrongdoing.\u201d Let me remind you that \u201cactive pardoning\u201d would include yourself. So make sure if you\u2019re dealing with forgiveness, you consider it an act of pardoning yourself for what is considered a mistake or wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
What goes on in our learning and growing and in our human experience always comes back to our self. Somehow each experience begins and ends with our self. Whatever is in between, as far as whomever and whatever else is there, it\u2019s going to ultimately be about you. Pardoning or forgiveness always includes an opportunity to forgive yourself.<\/p>\n
The second definition for forgiveness is \u201ca forgiving quality.\u201d So forgiveness is a part of the action of forgiving. There are other qualities, but forgiveness is a particular quality, which is the tendency to forgive offenses readily and easily. Do you have the tendency to forgive offenses readily and easily? Consider whether you also have the tendency to forgive the offenders readily and easily. Do you have that as a commitment? Do you have that as a dedication or a willingness? Or is it by chance or something you wouldn\u2019t consider doing?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard the point of view that if we forgive an offender or an offense, we\u2019re actually perpetuating it in some way. I consider it is a mistake; an error in itself, to assume that to forgive or pardon an offender is like teaching them to do that again. From my experience, if we don\u2019t forgive, if we don\u2019t pardon, that\u2019s what perpetuates the offense. To be unforgiving is what can allow or encourage the error to occur again.<\/p>\n
All of us in this world are learning to forgive. We\u2019re here as human beings to learn to pardon. That\u2019s a primary purpose in our life. God bless you if you haven\u2019t come around to that yet, if you haven\u2019t realized that you\u2019re here to let go and let yourself out of the position of being the one who\u2019s judging or making sure a condemnation is carried out. You\u2019re here to learn to forgive yourself as well as others and all that happens in this world.<\/p>\n
John-Roger wrote the book, Forgiveness: The Key to the Kingdom<\/em>. What is that kingdom? The kingdom of God. There are other keys such as loving, joy, peace, and understanding. However, those keys are so related to forgiveness that if you forgive, you\u2019ll be doing all the keys to the kingdom.<\/p>\n Imagine this \u2014 if you are willing to forgive and forgive completely all of the offenses, all of the errors and all of the mistakes, you would have a life of freedom. You would have the keys that go with access to the kingdom. You would be releasing yourself from the limitations, conditions, and all the challenges that go on in this world.<\/p>\n John-Roger said, \u201cYou must forgive yourself all things. You must have compassion for all people and the things they have done.\u201d \u00a0Perhaps you\u2019re considering the idea that forgiving all people and things is a mistake. Some people might say, \u201cI don\u2019t need to forgive them. I need to point out to them the error of their ways. It\u2019s my place to teach them how wrong they are or the ways they err.\u201d Consider that true freedom involves letting go and forgiving all judgment.<\/p>\n Placing Judgments in the Light<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s important to look at our judgments, whatever they may be, to hold them up and cast them into the Light. We can bring the Light into all judgments, particularly those that would register on the scale as the greatest judgments. Perhaps there\u2019s one judgment that you consider to be the greatest judgment. Bring that one into the Light especially, and remember to always ask for the highest good.<\/p>\n Forgiving your judgments may not always be the first thing that comes to your mind. When you\u2019re in the midst of your judgment, you may not immediately think, \u201cI forgive that judgment.\u201d Your willingness to respond to any judgment with \u201cI forgive myself for judging\u201d is a key to letting go and letting God.<\/p>\n Empathy and Compassion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I look at forgiveness as an aspect of the laws of spirit. John-Roger has identified that there are spiritual laws of acceptance, cooperation, understanding, enthusiasm, and empathy. \u00a0Empathy relates directly to forgiveness. Compassion relates directly to forgiveness. When we experience compassion for ourselves and others and all things, we are in touch with forgiveness.<\/p>\n True compassion can be the empathy that forgives all. Our compassion, our empathy, automatically ushers us into forgiveness. \u00a0We don\u2019t hold judgment when we\u2019re in empathy because we realize that \u201cThere but for the grace of God go I.\u201d There\u2019s something humbling about knowing our connection with people and things.\u00a0It\u2019s an understanding that if I judge you, I\u2019m judging myself. Judging is an unnecessary restriction that places againstness.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to come to the realization that our mistakes, our errors, our encounters with evil if you will, whatever the negativity may be, are sufficient. It\u2019s already enough. So there\u2019s enough negativity, evil, errors, mistakes, sins, etcetera, such that we don\u2019t need to add more. When we judge, we add to the negativity automatically. If nothing else, we add to our own negativity. Adding to the negativity equates to being or acting stupid because unnecessary burdens, pain, disturbance, anguish, suffering, restrictions, and so on, are created. More negativity is not necessary. We can choose to accept whatever is present and whatever has been done by choosing to bring forgiveness present. We can choose to express caring and loving regardless of the conditions that are present.<\/p>\n Maybe you feel you can\u2019t always keep your thoughts clean, clear and upright. Perhaps you think you don\u2019t know how to steer clear of judgment. I suggest you do know how by choosing to accept and be positive in your response. If you find you\u2019re judging then have the wit to let go, to release yourself into the consciousness that is living love with and for all.<\/p>\n Have compassion for yourself. Choose to forgive yourself for having judged. That is a key to forgiveness.<\/p>\n Good for the Soul<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, we encourage looking at our judgments. That\u2019s how we bring them into the Light. It\u2019s like a form of confession. You\u2019ve probably heard that confession is good for\u00a0the soul.<\/a> We practice the good for your soul part. There\u2019s goodness for you as a spiritual being as well as your humanness to acknowledge, own up, admit, and speak to your judgments.<\/p>\n Judgment is often accompanied by wanting to hide, pretend, deny, or lie. Consider we all have a part of us who would want to deny our judgments. It\u2019s part of our human experience. However, when we look at our judgments, we can also look at what is causing the judgments. In my experience the cause is clear; there is a core judgment that someone or something should be different than the way they are. When we understand that everything can be used for good purpose, including changing for the better, then there is no need to judge that anyone or anything should be different.\u00a0We can use our choices to help make things better if nothing else within our own consciousness. \u00a0It’s a waste of energy and time to hold judgment. We can choose to contribute to what can be better.<\/p>\n You may find that you resist looking at your judgments, that you avoid confrontation with your humanness and what you consider past errors or mistakes. You may even think that there are things that God does not know and that you can hide. Consider that there is no thing that God does not know. So God knows, always knows. However, we have salvation. God is love. The anointing of the Christ is forgiveness, peace, and harmony. Our divine nature is always forgiving. \u00a0In the movement of the spiritual inner awareness we are calling upon the highest God – the God that knows all, loves all, and forgives all who seek the Light that is the Christ.<\/p>\n If you want to move into the divine, to know yourself more fully as the spiritual being that you are, then you\u2019re going to be having a face-to-face confrontation with God. To see the face of God takes courage to face yourself in your entirety and in every detail. You\u2019re called upon to rise up to any judgment that you carry, knowing the process of awakening and enlightening yourself is good for your soul\u2019s learning and growth while you are in this world.<\/p>\n You may judge that you don\u2019t have the courage to confront your judgments. You may consider that you\u2019re not strong enough to confess what you really need to confess. Forgive yourself for your doubts, hesitation, or trepidations. Your process of confrontation is leading you to forgiveness. It\u2019s not an exercise about judgment or increasing your judging of yourself. It\u2019s an exercise in forgiveness and forgiving yourself especially. Our judgments stand in the way of forgiveness. Judgment keeps us from knowing and realizing the kingdom of God, which is full of love, grace, joy, and harmony and always available to those who love God and one another.<\/p>\n Self-Forgiveness<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s important to look at what you\u2019re judging or expecting of yourself. It\u2019s probably going to be something in the area of \u201cShoulda, woulda, coulda.\u201d You might be saying to yourself, \u201cI should have done this. I could have been that. I would have been that if only. . .\u201d Look at what didn\u2019t occur such that you judged yourself.<\/p>\n When you\u2019ve judged, regardless of how you judged somebody or something, it always leads back to you. You\u2019re judging yourself. So have that realization, which means you can skip judging the situation and just ask yourself, \u201cWhat was I judging myself for or judging myself as?\u201d If you don\u2019t know how to do that, or you\u2019re not yet aware of how you judged yourself, you can simply choose self-forgiveness by saying or writing, \u201cI forgive myself for judging myself for ________\u201d or \u201cI forgive myself for judging myself as __________.\u201d<\/p>\n When you judge someone else \u201cfor\u201d or \u201cas,\u201d you\u2019re actually judging yourself in that way. This is an important point \u2014 when you judge someone or something else, you\u2019re actually doing it to yourself.<\/p>\n So you\u2019re actually being very efficient when you move directly into self-forgiveness. You skip how you are judging others and move right into, \u201cI forgive myself for judging myself,\u201d however that fits and works for you. If you feel you\u2019ve messed up or erred, and you say, \u201cI could never forgive that,\u201d you have just cursed yourself. As long as you won\u2019t forgive, it\u2019s going to hurt you or bother you. It\u2019s going to compromise you. One day you’re going to forgive all. It might as well be today in this moment.<\/p>\n Forgiveness is the great healer. \u00a0We receive blessing into the mind and the spirit when we say, \u201cI forgive myself for judging\u2026\u201d So say it over and over and over. Have the intention to keep the mind in forgiveness. Strive to keep your consciousness and focus clear of judgment. Maintain a consciousness of forgiveness. Do your best to stay neutral and let go of judgments. Go into worship and present yourself before the Lord. \u201cHelp me let this go, Lord.\u201d Keep calling on the Lord\u2019s name because the Lord needs to come forth with your invitation.<\/p>\n There are parts of us that want to pull us away from our worship. Bodies can be attracted to things in the world, and emotions can emphasize the distractions. So how do we maintain a consciousness of neutrality and forgiveness? \u00a0With our devotion.<\/p>\n Choose to take yourself into worship and go within your consciousness and away from focusing in the world. In MSIA, we call it spiritual exercise. Your judgments can be lifted from you in the grace that is forgiveness.\u00a0You can choose to put yourself before the Lord and ask to receive of the blessings of forgiveness. God\u2019s grace can be done.<\/p>\n Eternal Vigilance<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Eternal vigilance is a password for forgiveness. In the book, Passage into Spirit<\/em>, eternal vigilance is defined by John-Roger as \u201cthe constant state of awareness where no harm is meant or intended for anything.\u201d So it really doesn\u2019t matter what someone does or how they may judge you. It doesn\u2019t even matter that perhaps you don\u2019t want to forgive them. You can still choose to forgive. It comes back to, \u201cI forgive myself for judging. . .\u201d whatever it is that you hold as the judgment, even if that includes when the person is unwilling to forgive you. You could then say, \u201cI forgive myself for judging that person for their unwillingness to forgive.\u201d<\/p>\n Consider that someone who is unwilling to forgive you is actually reflecting to you your own unwillingness to forgive. Even if you consider that you\u2019re always willing to forgive everyone, you can acknowledge that some part of you is still learning. You can take that humble step to place forgiveness into the unconscious level, accepting that you may not yet be aware of that part of you that holds onto judgment and resists moving into forgiveness. If you\u2019re dealing with someone who finds you unforgiveable, you can choose to forgive anyway. You can choose to forgive any action that you took or that somebody else took. You can forgive it all. So if it\u2019s an action, situation, or condition, material or biological, past, present or future, you can still forgive it all regardless.<\/p>\n You can forgive even when you don\u2019t know how to put words on it. You can simply say, \u201cI forgive myself.\u201d If you think, \u201cWell, I don\u2019t believe it. I think that\u2019s a lie,\u201d then you can forgive that part of you who thinks that\u2019s a lie. You can say, \u201cI forgive myself for thinking it\u2019s a lie that I forgive myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Just keep the forgiving going, no matter what is thrown at you. That\u2019s eternal vigilance. \u00a0Even if you forget to forgive, keep choosing to bring your awareness to, \u201cI forgive myself. I forgive my judgments. I forgive it all. I forgive.\u201d The divine consciousness as the Christ loves all and forgives all. Forgive yourself, as God loves you unconditionally. Keep remembering the divine nature that is forgiveness \u2014 the key to the kingdom of God. Prayer of Forgiveness<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear Lord, we ask for Your blessing We have let go of the judgments. We find that what remains is our purity, And as we are willing to forgive ourselves, And we find ourselves upright. We accept this commission, that is the way of the Lord, the anointed one. In this presence, we realize the contributions that You And again we ask that You place into us this Baruch Bashan.<\/em> Note:\u00a0 The above prayer appears in John\u2019s book, You Are the Blessings <\/em><\/a>and on the accompanying CD. \u00a0In addition to You Are the Blessings, <\/em>you may find of interest the following items that are available through the MSIA online store<\/a>:\u00a0 Choosing the Divine Presence<\/a> by John-Roger and John Morton that includes a rich compilation of John-Roger and John Morton excerpts leading us to our own Divine Presence and 24 moments of Divine Presence by John-Roger (1 DVD and 2CDs in English and Spanish); Calling Forward the Beloved<\/a> by John-Roger available in MP3 and MP4 formats; and another book by John Morton: The Blessings Already Are<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nBaruch Bashan<\/em>.<\/em>
\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n
\n
\nWe have come to You in forgiveness –
\nfirst of all, the forgiveness that You have issued
\nto all of your creation,
\nthat You do love regardless of what is done,
\nregardless of the state of Your creation
\nas it moves through all the emanations,
\nall the forms, all of the precise moments.
\nYou love unconditionally, and we come to You in this love.
\nWe come to You in Your sound, in Your silence.
\nWe simply come to You as we are,
\nin our own acceptance, in our own unconditionality.<\/p>\n
\nWe have let go of any condemnation
\nthat would hold negativity into our presence.
\nAnd we still do not know how to let go or surrender
\ncompletely.
\nFor we hang onto our ignorance, our stupidity,
\nour rigidity and our karma,
\nthat which we have done that is unnecessary.
\nWe continue and we allow it to persist.
\nAnd we give thanks that You let us bring this to You.
\nAnd we ask for that presence that is the Lord,
\nthe Lord of us all,
\nby whatever name it is called,
\nthat Lord, the supreme, who is forgiveness.
\nWe bring it to that one
\nthat we may offer it up in our humbleness,
\nin our willingness to let go.<\/p>\n
\nour clarity, that which is the true glamour,
\nthat which is the brilliance, purity, the light.<\/p>\n
\nwe render this forgiveness unto others
\nas the love of the Lord that You bring to us
\nwhich unburdens us, that takes from us
\nthat which is disease, anguish, condemnation,
\nthat which is the wedge in our eye that would not
\nallow us to see.
\nSo we now see clearly.
\nWe behold the light and love
\nthat is the Holy of Holies.<\/p>\n
\nWe are whole.\u00a0 We are strong.
\nWe are full of the vitality,
\nthe life force that is the Spirit.
\nAnd we find that it is radiating to all.
\nWe realize the simplicity of this moment,
\nthe blessings that are always present.<\/p>\n
\nWe find that it is to love all regardless,
\nto forgive all regardless.
\nAnd we know when we have lost our way,
\nwe are to forgive, we are to accept.<\/p>\n
\nare always making.
\nEvery experience teaches.
\nEvery moment offers an opportunity to gain,
\nto grow,
\nto move past that which binds.
\nWe breathe this in,
\nthat it is radiated to every part of our being.
\nAnd we breathe it out,
\nthat it is going freely to all.<\/p>\n
\nconsciousness that is awake,
\nthat we may always know it.
\nAnd again realizing our humanity,
\nthat we are bound to forget.
\nWe are bound to lose track of our
\ndivinity
\nand the divinity in all,
\nwe accept Your forgiveness.
\nAnd we understand as we bring this forgiveness
\nwithin,
\nit creates the greater capacity to go out.
\nAnd so we do.<\/p>\n
\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n
\n
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