I answered the phone and husband asked, “Are you sitting down?”

“Of course I’m sitting down, I’m at work.”

“Someone paid our bill.”

Pause. “What?”

“Someone paid our whole bill. We got money back”.

Another pause. “What?”

The saga of our truck repairs has been ongoing since February. Seven weeks in the shop. Five weeks out of the shop. Six more weeks in the shop, this time for a full engine replacement, and it is not an American made vehicle.

Paid in Full.

There is freedom in this phrase. I had told husband earlier this same day that I had starred items on the grocery list that were essential since after two major repairs and two new sets of tires (one for each vehicle) our budget was looking anorexic.

Paid in Full.

“Well, I guess you can get everything we need.” The freedom in those words. Knowing that you can get what is needed, and knowing that you can give as you want.

Paid in Full.

Paid in Full. These words have a new meaning now. Looking at how Jesus paid for my sins in full. He removed the debt from me. I don’t have to worry about what I need to do right and concern myself over every little thing in my life (I’m also not going to live haphazardly which would be akin to not caring for my truck and expecting someone to pay for it again). The freedom that comes from this debt being forgiven. The freedom in knowing that I can give how I want, that I can help how I want. The freedom to serve how I want knowing that I am able to love with the freedom that comes from a bill being stamped Paid in Full.

Father forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me. ~ Matt. 6:12, NASB

Paid in Full. Does that mean that I am to forgive fully? Letting go of the hurt and anger, and now have the freedom to give, the freedom to love, the freedom that comes with those words. Paid in Full.

When we hold on to anger, hatred, and resentment (just to name a few) we burden ourselves with a debt that is not ours to hold. Our debt is already Paid in Full. I heard once that resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. What sense does that make? When we lay our anger, hatred, and resentment at the feet of Jesus, we are able to enjoy a fully paid debt. What sense would it have made for me to hear that our bill was paid in full and still hold on to the stress? Knowing that our own debt has been paid allows us the freedom to let go of what others have done to us, lay down the burden, and mark their debt Paid in Full.

 

***Note: I know we have said this here before, and I want to put it in as a reminder. Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Forgiveness allows us to release the burden and find our own healing from past abuses or trespasses. By forgiving someone’s misgiving we release the burden from ourselves.