Forgiveness
“Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
His words…
Slay me.
Humble me.
They draw me into the deep, endless well of forgiveness found in Jesus.
His constant teaching,
leading, and
guiding:
to be merciful.
to turn the other cheek.
to remove the log from our own eye.
to do the seemingly impossible this side of heaven:
and relinquish
all the hurt,
all the pain, every injustice,
and
FORGIVE.
“Forgive them for they know not what they do.”
His words…
Convict me.
Strengthen me.
They release me from the chains of pointing my finger in anger.
He softens my heart and pierces it with His love:
A love that doesn’t measure or
judge,
one that isn’t focused on getting even or
even being right,
A love that endured the greatest inequity to give rise
to a conquering freedom.
Freedom from the weight of being wronged,
the gaping wound of being injured, and
the virus of being offended.
A conquering freedom from the ruinous path that leads to death:
resentment, retaliation, and retribution.
“Leave your gift there before the altar and go…be reconciled.”
His words…
Command me.
Empower me.
Forgiveness is a gift.
One that isn’t rooted in “deserve” nor one that condones another’s sins or actions.
A gift that may not be fully received by the other which might make an earthside relationship impossible.
But, in the act of freely offering the gift of forgiveness, one relationship is deepened: the one you have with Jesus.
Through forgiveness,
You enter more fully into God’s peace,
Into His joy,
Into the complete healing only found at the foot of the Cross.
And because there–in Him–where all things are possible,
A way to reconciliation, here, opens.
Forgiveness forges a path of kindness and compassion for others to follow.
It softens hearts;
It opens eyes to the wonder of Jesus Christ.
It transforms us into doers of
His Word.
Some first steps to forgiveness:
Humility: recognizing how much you have been forgiven by God. We are called to cancel the debt and forgive every trespass because our debt and trepasses have been covered by grace. (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13; 1 John 1:9; Matt 7:3-5)
Acknowledge & Relinquish: Don’t hide from the feelings created, but don’t sit in the ashes with them. Ask God for the words to address the offender so that the conversation leads to healing, perhaps even reconciliation. Give every emotion to God and ask Him to help release you from each. Allow God to take your thoughts captive rather than being help captive by the offender. (Eph 4: 26-27; Eph 4:31; Matt 18:21-22; Phil 4:6-7)
Pray & Act: We are called to love our enemies, this is a high and seemingly impossible calling. Yet, Jesus constantly repeats that we are to bless those that curse us, to pray for them, and to love them. As counterintuitive and unworldly as this step might feel; it is Biblical. Begin by asking the Lord to soften your heart and to touch the heart of the one who offended. Pray for His transformative power to be active in every aspect of the circumstance. Resist the temptation to retaliate in word or deed. Ask how can your actions be loving? Perhaps silence is called for. Perhaps anger can be uprooted through acts of service. Each circumstance is unique, however, praying and leaning into acts of kindness and compassion will always produce fruit. (Luke 6:27-36; Romans 12:14; 1 Peter 3:9; Matt 5:44)
Remember the Truth: forgiveness is the very character of God and you are His image bearer. Forgiveness does not make you a doormat; rather, it is the path to experiencing the empowering freedom, joy, and peace you have been given through Jesus Christ. (Numbers 14:18; Isaiah 43:25; Psalm 103:2-3; 1 Tim 1:15-16)