Abounding Forgiveness

Without a doubt, everyone has needed forgiveness at one (or more) points in their lives. Whether you grabbed a toy from a friend as a child, gossiped behind someone’s back as a teenager, or was dishonest to an employer as an adult, you’ve had to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness.

Then there’s the other end of the balance, where maybe you were the one wronged and you had to find it in your heart to forgive someone. Sadly, that stinging hurt is all too common. Today, when the respect for people’s feelings and emotions is more sensitive than ever, it's still in our nature to stick up for ourselves, even at the expense of someone else’s pain.

We’ve all been here, right? Definitely.

This happened to me. Only, I didn’t know about it until a little while ago. All I can say is, the Lord is gracious to open my eyes to it when He did. If it had been any other time in my life, I would’ve been full of hate, bitterness, and anger. But now, when I am closer to my Saviour than ever before, the same situation that would’ve crushed me less than a month before, bounced away like a weak bubble soccer player. Why is this? I have a right to be angry, right?

There is a temptation to think this way. It is a natural tendency to be bitter when we are wronged, but this is not how the Christian should respond. “The wrath of man produces not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)

Forgiveness isn’t as the common saying goes, “Forgive and forget.” We can forgive someone while the hurtful remembrance of their wrongdoing is still active in our mind. But we cannot be angry. Holding grudges is exhausting!

The definition of forgiveness is to “stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone.” (Webster’s dictionary)

We are commanded to forgive others. Because of the forgiveness Christ has shown to us, it is our responsibility to pass it on to others. When it is our turn to forgive an ‘inconceivable wrongdoing’, even if it seems so wrong even God couldn’t forgive it, we need to forgive.

If we don’t forgive others, God will not forgive us! “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will my Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15)

We must forgive because God has forgiven us. “...forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13b)

We must forgive if we want others to forgive us. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

It is a duty. It is part of who we are as believers.

Are you holding bitterness against a repentant soul? Are you begrudgingly avoiding offering forgiveness to a fellow seeker of Christ?

Forgive, dear soul, forgive. It is a burden we don’t need to bear.

<3 Berea