Forgiveness
- Eric Whittle
- Aug 3, 2024
- 2 min read
One of the hardest things as a Christian is to forgive those who have wronged us. It is just human nature to hold a grudge and not want to forgive others. The problem is, when we refuse to forgive others, we are harming ourselves. You see, forgiveness is more for us than it is for those who need to be forgiven. In Matthew 6:15, Jesus tells us that if we don’t forgive those who have wronged us than God will not forgive us for our sins. By offering forgiveness freely we are freeing ourselves from the burden of not receiving forgiveness from our Father.
Forgiveness also benefits us by allowing us to move on from the harm that was done to us. You see, God when He forgives us, acts as the transgression never happened. It is not only forgiven but it is forgotten. That is how we should be with people who do us wrong. We must forgive but also forget and move on from the situation. That way we don’t have to carry that burden around with us. Once it is forgiven, we no longer dwell on it but work to accept that person back into the fold just as God does with us.
We also should offer forgiveness freely just as God does for us. God willing want to forgive us if we ask Him to and make a complete change of behavior. This is the same attitude we should have with our fellow man. When they ask for it, we should freely give forgiveness with no conditions or demands. For some people, asking for forgiveness is a hard thing to do. We know that if we were in the wrong, we would want forgiveness so why withhold it from others?
God loves us and is willing to forgive us if we humble ourselves and come to Him with repentance and sincerity. I hope that we are willing to offer that same love and forgiveness to our brothers and sisters. Let’s work this week to be an example of forgiveness. If the world had more forgiveness, it would have more peace and joy! Always remember you are loved!
Eric
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