This week in our men’s group, the topic was loving our enemies and one of the key points was forgiveness. This created some great discussion as we talked about the challenges of forgiving those who have hurt us or our loved ones.
Jesus taught extensively on forgiveness during His time here on earth. In the Lord’s Prayer, He instructed His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”(Matthew 6:12). And Jesus emphasized the link between receiving forgiveness and extending it to others.
He illustrated this truth through the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35), as he points out the immeasurable grace we have received from God and the importance of reflecting that same kind of grace to others.
The story of Joseph which I referenced in last week’s blog is an amazing example of the power of forgiveness. If you aren’t familiar with his story, he was betrayed by his brothers who were jealous of him. They sold him into slavery, and he was subjected to unjust suffering for years.
Joseph could have harbored bitterness and sought revenge but, years later when his brothers showed up at the place where he now had great authority and power over them, his response to them was one of forgiveness. When he revealed who he was to his brothers, he said, “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5). Joseph recognized the hand of God in his circumstances and chose forgiveness over resentment. And healing took place between him and his brothers.
When we forgive, we aren’t condoning anyone’s wrongdoing. Instead, we are choosing to release the grip of resentment and entrust justice to God. Our forgiveness frees us from the chains of bitterness and opens our hearts to healing and reconciliation. As Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor, famously said, “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
Opportunities to practice forgiveness are all around us. Whether it’s forgiving a friend who has betrayed our trust, reconciling with a family member with whom we’ve had a falling out, or extending grace to a stranger who has wronged us, forgiveness is a testament to the transformative power of God’s love working within us.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the amazing grace You have poured out upon us through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. Give us the strength and wisdom to forgive as we have been forgiven and to extend mercy as we have received mercy. Help us to release the burdens of bitterness and resentment, and instead, clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May Your love shine through us as we embrace the transformative power of forgiveness. —Amen.
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