What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word FORGIVENESS? Do you shutter because you know you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart? Do you feel anxious because you don't know how to forgive? Do you feel free because you have forgiven? Do you feel humbled because you have been forgiven?
Forgiveness is the greatest gift that we can give and receive. God gave us the ultimate forgiveness when he sent Christ to bear our sins and die on our cross. We receive this gift when we accept Christ as our Savior. This is the greatest example of forgiveness. Without an acceptance or understanding of this you will never be able to truly forgive or be forgiven.
Let's talk a little about Unforgiveness. To harbor unforgiveness in your heart towards someone takes all control away from you. First of all it's not what we are called to do as Christians. We are to forgive as Christ forgave us (Eph 4:32 & Col 3:13). When we don't forgive people that wrong us or hurt our feelings we are giving them control over us. Unforgiveness will eat away at you. It will consume you. It will be all you think about, it will be your focus. It will hinder your relationships with those around you and crush your relationship with God. When we forgive we are taking the control back! We are saying yes you hurt me and no I don't agree with your behavior but I forgive you. I will not allow you or your actions to control my thoughts or my behavior. I will forgive you so that I can be who God says that I am.
Once you regain the control and you truly forgive it is the most joyous feeling in the world. You will no longer be weighed down with this burden. You will be able to move past the situation and serve God with you whole heart.
When I think of forgiveness I think who am I not to forgive when Christ forgave me. Me! A wretched, weak, undeserving sinner! He forgave me! He took the sins of this world, my sins and he allowed himself to be beaten, mocked, tortured, tempted, spat on, and crucified all in my place. If my Lord can endure such anguish for my sake then who I am to decide who is worthy of my forgiveness. The truth is forgiveness is for me not for them!
If your aren't sure how to forgive the only I advice I know to tell you is look at the greatest example. Open God's word and read about his forgiveness for us. Follow his example and learn to forgive.
So how many times are we too forgive? I will leave you with these verses,
Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
I do not own any rights to this video or the music played in it I simply copied it from YouTube.
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