Forgiveness . . .

For the first time in my walk of faith, I am having to deal with the issue of forgiveness. It is tougher than I thought. However, I have learned that forgiveness is not just a one-time act, it has to be a way of life, and it is meant to bring us into every blessing in Christ. I remember something Jesus said that was recorded in Matthew:

“You are familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I am challenging that. I am telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that” (Matthew 5:43-47).

Then He continued by saying: “In a word, what I’m saying is, grow up. [Hey! That’s not nice]. You are kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you” (Matthew 4:48)

That is not easy to hear, but according to Jesus, forgiveness isn’t a matter of picking or choosing who we will forgive. We can’t say, “You’ve hurt me too much, so I’m not forgiving you.” Jesus tells us, “If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much” [no offense to those of you who are tax-collectors] (Matthew 5:46).

The point is, it doesn’t matter who our grudge is against. If we hold onto it, it is going to lead to bitterness that poisons every aspect of our lives. Unforgiveness brings on spiritual famine, weakness, and a loss of faith, afflicting not just us but everyone in our circle.

Over the years I have seen and heard many terrible stories of devastation in the lives of those who hung onto their unforgiveness. Although, I have also seen the glorious power of a forgiving spirit. Forgiveness transforms our lives, causing the windows of heaven to open. It begins when we accept forgiveness from our Heavenly Father, and extends to filling our cup of spiritual blessing to the brim with abundant peace, joy and rest in the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ teaching on this subject is very specific, and if you want to move in this wonderful realm of blessing, then heed and embrace his words.

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part” (Matthew 6:14-15). Make no mistake: God isn’t making a bargain with us here. He is not saying, “Because you have forgiven others, I will forgive you.” We can never earn God’s forgiveness. Only the shed blood of Christ merits forgiveness of sin.

Our Savior is saying, “Full confession of sin requires that you forgive others. If you hold on to any unforgiveness, then you have not confessed all your sins. True repentance means confessing and letting go of every grudge, crucifying every trace of bitterness toward others. Anything less is not repentance.”

I think this goes hand in hand with his Beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). His point is that we forgive others, so you can move in to the blessings and joy of sonship. Our Father will then pour on tokens of his love. And when you forgive, you are revealing the Father’s nature to the world.

Father, you know quite well how I have been dealing with this. I simply can’t forgive that person for what they have done . . . please don’t make me do that. But I know that is what you require of me, so I will obey you. As an act of obedience I forgive ____________ (put their name in here). Now, as an act of faith I ask you to give me the Grace to forgive them. I can’t do it on my own. For this day forward I will never again talk about we he/she did to me–nor will I even think about it. Thank you, Father.