In this article I am going to help you let go of your emotional baggage. Emotional baggage of offence can trip you up, affecting your relationship with others and God.
The Bible tells us to: “Let’s throw off any baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up and fix our eyes on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1 CEB)
Biblical steps to letting go of the baggage of offence
1. Show mercy to the offender
The Bible says in James 2:13, “Judgment without mercy will be to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment”. Do you find yourself repeatedly rehearsing and judging, a hurtful word, situation, the offender or yourself? I’m sure we have all been guilty of it at some time or other.
Jesus said in John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” If you believe (trust) and have received Jesus’ mercy, He no longer judges you for what you or I have done and therefore we are not to judge others.
This is confirmed in Luke 6:37 when it says, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” God tells us that we are not to judge, for when we judge someone, we are blaming them (or ourselves) and therefore we will not find release.
2. Cancel the debt of the offender
In the book of Matthew chapter 18 we read a parable of a servant who owed the King a large amount of money. He begged the King for mercy and the King was moved with compassion, forgave him and released him of his debt. In other words, he not only cancelled the debt, but also took away the judgment that the servant was due.
Luke 17:4 in the Amplified version it explains how it does not matter how many times we get hurt by a boss, workmate, family member or friend we are to cancel the emotional debt they owe us. It says, “Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I’m sorry,’ you must forgive him (that is, give up resentment and consider the offence as annulled)”. To annul means: to declare cancelled, obliterated and as no longer existing. Wow! What freedom that would bring if we forgave and released others and ourselves like that!
My husband and I have seen many released and healed when they forgave according to the Bible. A middle-aged man could not bend his fingers on his right hand for five years, despite an operation he had to try to correct the nerves. After he forgave, God healed him, the feeling came back in his hand and he was able to use his fingers again. Isn’t God good?
3. Forgive and release
How do we release a person who has deeply hurt us or betrayed us? How do we let go of an offence? The literal translation in Luke 6:37 for, “forgive and you will be forgiven” is “release and you will be released”. We release the offender by choosing to no longer judge or blame them even though they are blameworthy. So often we are hard on ourselves and releasing ourselves from blame is sometimes the most difficult. Instead of judging and blaming we hand the offender or offence over to God, the righteous judge! In other words, we cancel the blame by choosing to no longer blame and judge ourselves and/or others.
This is how you forgive from the heart! This is how you find release from those who have hurt you. These are the Biblical steps to letting go of the baggage of offence and be set free.
Prayer to forgive and release
I choose to forgive and release ____ (name the offender) ___ and will no longer judge or blame them for their actions or words spoken against me.
For myself…I choose to forgive and release myself from ____ (name the mistake) ___ and will no longer judge, blame, hate or punish myself repeatedly for my actions. Thank you, Jesus that your blood cleanses my conscience from all condemnation, regrets and disappointments.
Biblical steps to letting go of the baggage of unhealed emotional wounds
Unhealed emotional wounds can trigger many unwanted behaviours, thought patterns and strong reactions to people, places and circumstances. Also, it is a documented fact that trauma effects every cell within your body, opening a door to sickness.
Jesus longs to heal and set you free from the baggage of unhealed emotional wounds. “He (God) has sent Me (Jesus) to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Isaiah 61:1
Emotional wounds can be more painful than physical wounds, but the healing process is the same.
Physical and Emotional wounds need healing
Blood keeps our bodies healthy by washing our systems and wounds clean. Unhealed emotional wounds can prevent us from enjoying all that God has for us. The blood of Jesus washes our conscience clean from anything that robs us of enjoying an abundant life. Hebrews 9:13 tells us, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ…cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
Wounds need a good supply of oxygen
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bind up and heal the broken hearted … to set free those who are oppressed – downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy. (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18 Amp.)
Your life-oxygen is the Spirit of the Lord. God wants to heal your wounded heart. So, breathe in and allow Him to become more real to you than your pain and thank Him for healing you.
Wounds need protection
Emotional wounds, like physical wounds, need protection. Two things can happen when we are deeply wounded or traumatized, regardless of the age.
Firstly, at the time of experiencing severe trauma, you can go into overload and shut down neurologically in order to cope with the overwhelming amount of stress. (Not everyone who has been traumatized shuts down). At that point the memories of the trauma and the emotional reactions to the event becomes fused neurologically. The memory that had been fused neurologically will later cause you to react strongly when triggered, or when someone pushes your buttons. Being triggered is very common, and it’s a major reason why relationships break up.
True story
A beautiful couple came to us as they were struggling in their marriage. Both carried unhealed emotional baggage and after they learnt how to defuse the neurological connections that were triggering them and causing them to react, they were set free and are now serving God together in helping other marriages.
Secondly, when we get hurt, we put walls around ourselves to protect ourselves from being exposed and from being hurt again. Walls seemingly provide a sense of protection. However, they not only keep others at a distance, but they keep God at a distance also.
God wants to be your protector. He wants to heal you neurologically and set you free from entrapment. God wants you to let go of your way of protecting yourself – your self-protective walls and have you run into HIM. In HIM you have healing, protection, freedom and a rich supply of everything you need. For the Word of God assures you that, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.” (Proverbs 18:12) In HIM you live and are protected – picture Jesus holding you securely in his arms and you not having to do anything but receive His love.
Wounds need exercise for good circulation
When you get wounded it can make you feel worthless, no good and less than others. It’s called inner shame and it can feel like a heavy cloak. Since Jesus bore your inner shame on the Cross and has given you a robe of righteousness, your cloak of inner shame must be denounced – taken off. You do that by renewing your mind (changing the way you think), replacing the lies you believe about yourself with the truth. The truth is you are God’s, precious, unique child. It’s OK to be different – to be who God created you to be! This is your spiritual exercise which helps in your healing progress.
Prayer to be healed and set free from the baggage of unhealed emotional wounds
God of all comfort, whose steadfast love never ceases, thank You for sending Jesus who bore my griefs and carried my sorrows and pains in order that every area of my soul – my mind, will and emotions be restored to wholeness.
In the name of Jesus, I ask for and take hold of healing and restoration of every broken, hidden part of my soul where it has been trapped in another time and/or place because of past trauma.
I ask your forgiveness, Lord Jesus, for where I have allowed my woundedness to negatively affect others. Jesus, wash my conscience clean with your blood from all iniquity and sin.
You that you have promised to heal broken/trapped hearts, Lord Jesus, please heal and restore my traumatised central nervous system and bring into divine order, any neurological imbalances and chemical and electrical frequencies that are out of alignment.
By the power of the Holy Spirit and in your name, Jesus, I cut off and defuse the neurological link between the memories of the trauma and the emotional reactions of the event. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving me new neurological pathways of love, peace, acceptance and safety.
In your Name Jesus, I command trauma to leave and stress hormones to stop destroying my immune system. I pray for a healthy immune system.
Thank you, Jesus that you have also promised to set the captives free. Reveal to me, Lord Jesus, any lie I have believed that is encoded in my cellular memories and has formed wrong beliefs, negative feelings and destructive patterns. I renounce the lie ___(name the lie)____ and ask what truth you would have me believe in its place.
Remove the cloak of shame
I renounce and put off the deceptive veil and cloak of shame. I declare today that I have the robe of righteousness and I’m free from shame and guilt.
Father God, it is written in your Word that you are a consuming fire. Therefore, I declare that all walls that I have made, no matter what they are made of, be destroyed and consumed with fire.
Please send your ministering angels now to break the chains that have held me captive and bring me out from entrapment and make me whole.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for giving me a sound mind and setting me free. For bathing my entire body with your healing oil and filling every area with Yourself where the trauma has left. I am now healed and made whole! Amen
Trust you have been helped to let go of your emotional baggage of offences. Be sure to check out the following link.
Related link: First video on how to be released from offences – Embracing and Sharing God’s Grace: breakfreetoday.org/amazing-grace