 Trying to Forgive Others
Another passage of Scripture that I frequently read is in Matthew 6:14-15: Jesus says, " For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
It is incredible to think that we as christians will have unforgiven sin in our relationship with the Lord simply because we cannot forgive when someone does us wrong.
Usually it is easier to forgive someone who is not saved... that is, someone of the world ( because we expect mistreatment from people of the world ) - than it is to forgive a christian brother or sister in the Lord who has wronged us.
To forgive is difficult. While it is a command that Jesus expects us as christians to do, it is a choice we must make.
Remember, forgiving someone is not the act of putting them out of your mind and trying to forget what they did and cutting off any communication with them. You will probably never forget what they did.
Part of forgiving is being able to think of them without vengeance and wanting to get even. Just know that if you do right God will take care of them.
Romans 12:17,19-20 says, " Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ' It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: ' If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'
I have to remind myself by reading in 1 Peter 2:23 - when Peter writing about Jesus said,
" When they hurled insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats.
Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."
Also, to keep me going I have to read this passage from Ephesians 4:31-32 frequently:
" Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. "
Many times though, when we are so caught up in the wrong that someone has done to us - we forget that we might of done wrong to someone too. It is so interesting to hear people, even christians and yes pastors, talk about how wrong they have been done by people in their church but yet act as though they themselves have never done anyone any wrong. Colossians 3:25 says, " Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. " In other words, this applies to all of us... christians, pastors, teachers, anyone who breathes.
Maybe we should take a look at ourselves first and be honest with ourselves. I know there are christians and yes pastors, who deny any wrong doing... it is always the other person that did them wrong.
My friend, we will never know the peace of God in this life until we rid ourselves of this childish mentality - that is, that we are incapable of doing anyone any wrong and that we are always the victim.
When we come to the realization that we also need to be forgiven, then it helps in forgiving others.
Try looking at yourself and admit to yourself that you have also wronged someone and see if it won't be easier to forgive someone who has wronged you.
Then, when you as a christian, ask the Lord to forgive you for something you can feel assurance in your heart that He will forgive you, based on His word.
Wayne Brown |