Soul Food: He said, “Let Go….”

Story by

Jeffery Murungweni (Africa University Student Ambassador- News and content development)

These past couple of days have been quite memorable for most people, especially for Christians. Easter is one of those holidays many people look forward to, from the rest, the communion with fellow Christians and appreciating the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a time when we celebrate one of the greatest acts of kindness ever done to mankind: God Himself giving us His Son – Jesus Christ – to die for our sins. Now, a big question would be: Why would God be so willing to sacrifice His son for our atonement of sin?

This question made me trace back to when God had brought deliverance to His people. Through Joseph, God brought deliverance to Jacob and his family from the famine that had struck the land during the seven years of famine as dreamt by Pharaoh in the book of Genesis. As we transition into the book of Exodus, we come across one of the most popular stories where we see God delivering the children of Israel by His miraculous hand. Through His servant Moses, God also delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and went with them to the Promised Land. There are many other scenarios in the Bible where we see God delivering His People from their enemies. Still, the coming of Jesus marked a time when God wanted to deliver His people from another type of enemy: sin.

Sin was first recorded in Genesis when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Now, let’s look at what happened to them after sinning.  Adam and Eve discovered that they were now “naked”, and they tried to make some clothes out of the fig leaves, and on top of that, they tried to hide from God. What fascinates me is when God asks them in Genesis 3 verse 11, “Who told you that you were naked?” This question speaks to a distortion of the original identity of mankind due to sin. Man had now adopted the identity that came as a result of sin, which is not how God saw Man. This is what Jesus came to correct, our identity. Through Him, we are now sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, as He said in His word. Sin caused Man to be removed from the Garden of Eden, which meant a garden of pleasure. Jesus, however, came to restore us to that place in the presence of God. When sin separated us from God, Jesus came to bring us back to the Father, proving the loving nature of God.

Now, with how all-mighty God is, why would He care so much to forgive us of our sins? I’m sure if He wanted to take our lives away instantly, He could, but He chose the path of forgiveness. He chose to let go of our transgressions and seek to bring us closer back to Himself. If our all-mighty and knowing God chose forgiveness over revenge or any other course of action, it shows there is something in forgiveness that is much more desirable. As Jesus healed people of their sicknesses, He would commonly say, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Through that forgiveness, there was the healing of the person and restoration. In another instance, Jesus told someone to forgive those who wrong us 70 times 7 times each day. Forgiveness has the effect of bringing peace to the one who has been wronged. It’s funny how most of the time, when we are wronged by others, we remain all grumpy and angry whilst those who wrong us continue with their normal ways of life without any remorse. Now imagine if you’re holding onto the wrong someone did to you years ago. How long have you not experienced happiness? Unforgiveness can lead to depression, which can cause increased production of acids in the stomach, and ultimately ulcers. Now just imagine the health bill you’re getting yourself into by holding onto the wrong done against you.

I believe that since Easter is a time for us to celebrate the forgiveness of our sins, it is also a time when we make an intentional decision to be more like God and exhibit His loving and forgiving nature. Make a conscious decision to let go of the hurt and let your heart heal. The more people forgive and heal from past experiences with other people, the less hurt there is in the world, and the more the world becomes a much better place for everyone. Choose to let go of the unnecessary weight. As God loved you so much that He gave you Jesus, may you also share God’s love with others for the glory of God.