Forgiveness

I have a yellowed clipping hanging on my refrigerator.  I think it is from CCM Magazine, because on the back of it is a review of ‘The Great Adventure” by Steven Curtis Chapman.  That would make this clipping date back to 1992, and would also explain the yellowing!

The section heading of this clipping reads  Make a Decision to Forgive.  And it simply says:

It’s a decision (not based on feeling) to give up your right to hate and strike back at the person who has hurt you. This is forgiving as God has forgiven you.

I cut this out, all those years ago, because forgiveness had been somewhat of a struggle for me. And for a very long time, I struggled with what forgiveness – and my difficulty with it – meant.  Much of that struggle ended when my knowledge of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior went from my head to my heart some 2 1/2 to 3 years later. 

God’s word has this to say about forgiveness:

Matthew 6:14-15: For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Luke 17:3-4: Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day and returns to you seven times saying ‘I repent’, forgive him.

So, for awhile I looked at forgiveness as what I gave to those who asked for it. But I still struggled. You see, there are people in my life who have hurt me that haven’t asked for my forgiveness. As a matter of fact, they neither care if I forgive them nor, in some instances, think there is anything to forgive. But not forgiving them left me with an ‘icky’ feeling. I felt unsettled, and bitter, towards those I hadn’t forgiven. But I was within my rights to not forgive them, because they hadn’t asked for my forgiveness, right? Wrong. It took me awhile to figure it out, but there it was in God’s word….

Luke 6:27-28: But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 6:31: “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. 6:35-37: “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.”

I wish I could say I never struggle with this anymore. But, I would be lying if I told you that. But God ever so gently draws my attention back to his word when I struggle. He is graciously refining me in this, and many areas. What a wonderfully loving Father!

Father God, I am so grateful that You love me. I am thankful that You are patient with me and that You continue to give me opportunity to be refined to Your Son’s image. Your word reminds me that I am to show mercy to those who hate me. It is not easy to do, but You provide the means to do it through my relationship with Christ. You have equipped me with Your Holy Spirit, who guides me and directs me to Your word and Your will.