Usually someone we don't know can't cause a hurt that needs forgiveness. But, it can happen. The hurt that cuts the deepest is when a friend or family member hurts us. We allow ourselves to trust these people in our lives so when they let us down, it just cuts us to the bone. It distances us from others and it makes our faith walk a little bit harder.
I am not perfect. I have had people hurt me very badly and I had a lot of them that I thought I had forgiven but during a recent class I am taking through church called LIFE, I found that some of those I had 'forgiven' was not full forgiveness and I had lied to myself. After some deep and thorough reflection, I found feelings that were hidden within me. I had been denying hurt that I was holding onto. This worked into my daily reactions to events and people. It was taking away from my ability to really truly experience my life and my faith.
Below are some verses that talk about how God wants us to forgive others. It isn't easy but it is something that we as Christians need to do. Some people find writing down what someone did and acknowledging our feelings and making a decision to let it go. Some people then burn the hurt to make it go away. Now i am the first person who will tell you that I did not used to do the give it to God thing well. I still struggle with it from time to time, however, with forgiving others, I sincerely have found a great path to that by just saying to God, it is your will that I forgive and I give this pain to you. It has seriously helped me!
The first verse is Collossians 3:13 - Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you.
God has forgiven all of us. He gave his only begotten sons life for our sins. Would you allow your son or daughter to die to save someone else? Could you love someone else so much that you would be willing to do that? As a human, I can not say that I would so his strength is more than me. I have found peace in this thought. But that same strength that I find in the love and forgiveness of God.....tells me I must forgive others.
The second verse is Matthew 18:21 & 22 - Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?' 'No, not seven times,' answered Jesus, 'but seventy times seven.'
Jesus tells Peter in this verse to continue to forgive. He technically says 490 times, however, all of the other verses show the never ending forgiveness of God is what we should show to others.
One of my favorite verses...the Third Verse is Ephesians 2:4 & 5 - But God's mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved.
I have been saved by Gods Grace. He has given me infinitely more mercy than I have ever earned. In that same love (recall Jesus said, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another in John 13:35.) we must forgive others.
In Luke 23:34, Jesus showed us that even in that moment of desperation, Forgiveness is the required response. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Jesus was dying for our sins and he asked God to forgive those gambling to take his clothing. He could have said no that's my stuff stop. He could have said, ' look at these people, I'm not even dead and they are divvying up my stuff! He didn't. He asked for forgiveness for their actions.
In that he loved us we were forgiven. In that he loves us, we must forgive. Don't forget. Getting angry is human. Feeling pain and betrayal is human. Forgiving is divine.
My challenge for you this week is to make a decision to cast lots or to forgive. If you choose to forgive feel free to post why you forgave someone. What they did. Let me pray for you that you can maintain your freedom. Take your faith to a new level. Open your heart larger to let others inside. No longer be a prisoner to anger and resentment and let love fill you instead.
Have a blessed week!
No comments:
Post a Comment