THE
IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Memorise: So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if
ye from your
hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. Matthew
18:35
Read; Matthew 18:32-35, 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto
him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou
desiredst me:
33 Shouldest
not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on
thee?
34 And
his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all
that was due unto him.
35 So
likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts
forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.
Bible in one year; 1st Chronicles 19:1-22:1, proverbs
28:26-29:9
MESSAGE
Forgiveness is a choice, not a
feeling. It is also commandment from God and a requirement to be fulfilled
before anyone can enjoy the grace of receiving His forgiveness in our lives.
The root cause of bitterness and un-forgiveness in our lives is often the root
cause of a number of other issues that we may be dealing with on a regular
basis. Forgiving whether we feel like it or not, or releasing even the greatest
offender into God’s hands will baffle, confound, and damage the whole realm of
Satan. Just as all of heaven rejoices when we accept Christ, so hell impotently
rages as we reclaim lost ground.
“For if
ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if ye forgive not ….. neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew
6:14-15
Let us assume that your problems
are really big. You have been badly hurt by your partner’s actions. No one
denies the pain and anger you are going through, especially if your partner has
been unfaithful. But despite the unfaithfulness or whatever it is that has
caused you to think about divorce, assuming that there has been true
repentance, have you tried forgiveness? Forgiveness is ultimately the only way
we can handle broken relationships.
It is the only way we can lay past problems
to rest. Forgiveness is not a surge of emotions; it is a deliberate act of
will. For Christians, the forgiveness we exercise is based on the fact that we
ourselves have been forgiven by God. I know that many hurting partners will
say, ‘I have forgiven again and again.’ if that is so and your forgiveness has
been abused and trampled on, it may well be time for another action. But before
you take the final step, put all your problems into perspective. Is it worth
throwing away the past years if it is possible to salvage the relationship with
an act of Christian forgiveness? I am not suggesting it is easy, that the pain
will mysteriously go away or that all the problems will be sorted out
overnight. There may be a great deal of work that needs to be done.
Bitterness is a cyclical,
repetitive, tightly closed circle of self-cantered pain. It carries us round
and around the same senseless arc. Like a child learning to ride a bicycle,
knowing how to ride but not how to stop, we pedal on and on, afraid to quit,
yet wishing desperately for someone to come and take the bars, break our
circling, and let us off. Bitterness is useless. Repayment is impossible.
Revenge is impotent. Resentment is impractical. Only forgiveness can reconcile
the differences and restore healing to a relationship. Rejecting all the
relationship that have failed us is the most common counsel among Christians
and non- Christians alike. Cut off the old connections, withdraw from all
interactions, live at a distance, and avoid any intimacy or involvement. Above
all, do not risk working toward towards forgiveness. All these are contrary to
the Word of God.
It is definitely not easy to
forgive and it may be impossible to forget. However, it is possible for us to
forgive because we have the power of the Holy Spirit within. Think for a
moment, and honestly answer the big question, have you considered
forgiveness?
Prayer Point
Father, please close the door against the spirit of un-forgiveness
in my life in Jesus’ name.
No comments:
Post a Comment