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"And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one."
(Luke 11:4)
All week we have looked into this amazing subject of forgiveness: both God's forgiving us and how we should also forgive others. Here are my closing, practical thoughts, and I hope they help you and put you on the path of extending forgiveness to others.
- You will have opportunities to forgive. That is a positive way of stating a negative reality: In this world, you will be mistreated. All of us will come face to face with acts committed against us or words spoken about us that cut us deeply. You are not being singled out or experiencing something foreign or unique. It happens to everyone, and it will continue to happen until Jesus comes again or you go to heaven. The saying goes, "To err is human but to forgive is divine." That is true, but it is also true that we humans who err, once we know Christ, have the Holy Spirit living within us and empowering us to forgive.
- Forgiving those who have wronged us is not optional; Jesus commands us to forgive. Jesus practiced forgiveness in His life on earth. The greatest example is when He was literally dying on the cross. Luke 23:34 says, "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.' And they divided His garments and cast lots."
- Forgiveness liberates you. The person you are harboring hatred for probably couldn't care less. The only one suffering is you. You are drinking the poison thinking the other person will die. The acid of unforgiveness in you is not harming another, just you, the vessel that contains the acid.
- "Don't hold one's worst days against him; everyone could use a little forgiveness." This is actually a quote from one of my favorite TV shows, SWAT. In this episode, Deacon gives a colleague this sage advice. Holding grudges or keeping one indebted to you for the wrong he or she did is an unhealthy way to live. My favorite scene in the Broadway musical Hamilton is the one where Hamilton's wife, Eliza, forgives her husband for his adultery. I cried during the song, "It's Quiet Uptown". Here are some of the lyrics:
Forgiveness, can you imagine?
Forgiveness, can you imagine?
If you see him in the street
Walking by her side, talking by her side, have pity
They are going through the unimaginable.
- To quote the great theologian, Elsa in Frozen, "Let it go." Seriously, let it go; forgive. When I am reminded of the offense committed against me, I tell myself I have already forgiven him or her. I also pray for the offender, and it is powerful. I heard someone say recently that the greatest advice he ever received was to quit listening to himself and start talking to himself. Quit listening to the lies the Devil or others (or even ourselves) tell us, and speak to the lies the truth of God's Word.
If you have not already, I invite you to receive the Lord today as your Savior and King. He will save you and empower you to do what you believe is impossible: forgive. I recommend you read Lisa TerKeurst's powerful book, Forgiving What You Can't Forget. Finally, for some, the hurt is very deep, and you need a biblical Christian counselor to walk with you. Reach out and get the help you need.
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