Forgiveness Part II – Forgiving Others

For many of us forgiving someone is very hard to do.  Especially, when the other person has hurt us.  We find it easier to forgive when someone does not speak to us or overlooks us.  When someone betrays our trust, we have a hard time forgiving them.  Personally, I forgive other people quicker than I forgive myself.  What makes it easier for me to forgive is when I think about all the things God has forgiven me for and how he continues to love me, despite all my mistakes. How can I hold a grudge against one of God’s children, when he forgives me every day? In Mark 11:25 it says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins”.  How can we ask God to forgive our sins and we will not forgive those who have sinned against us?

We betray God’s trust all the time.  He trusts that his children will do his will.  How many times have we promised him we would do something, and we do not do it?  We can have a problem and we ask God to help us and tell him if he does, we will do this or that.  After God delivers us from our troubles, we forget the promises we made to him.  If a friend or family member did the same thing to us, we would be highly upset and want nothing to else to do with them.  We tend to take God for granted.  We never think about what he thinks or feel about our behavior.  For this reason, I am trying to be more cognizant about the promises I make to God, family and friends.  I want my words to mean something and not just empty emotional responses.

God wants us to learn to forgive, so we do not carry all the baggage that unforgiveness brings.  The baggage of anger, pain, and distrust to name a few.  Unforgiveness can wreak havoc in our lives.  Unforgiveness can cause separation in marriages, family and friends.  In Ephesians 4:26 it says, “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”  You can get angry, but before you go to bed resolve your anger.  Before we go to bed, we should pray and ask God to take away our anger and ask for his forgiveness.  Forgiving others is not about the people we are upset with.  It is about us.  Forgiveness paves the way for our healing.  God is the burden bearer, let him bear your burdens today.

LSW