What Jesus said about ... forgiveness.
Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven.” Matthew 18: 21-22
Forgiveness is an act, not a feeling. You decide, actively, that you will forgive someone who has hurt you. This means you will not seek revenge, retribution, compensation or feel resentment or ill-will towards the person who did you wrong.
Of course, the memories will linger on. The slightest event will bring back the whole situation to your mind and will make you angry or upset once again. This is only natural. Don't worry. Use these moments of remembering again as an opportunity to actively forgive once more. Hand over the person who hurt you to God. Pray for them. You cannot possibly hate someone you pray for. Say to God, "I hand this person to your love and mercy. Forgive them for me!"
What if the person who has hurt you, and never sought your forgiveness, is now dead?
He is no longer your concern. Stop agonising about it. This person is now before God and has seen the situation in all its facets. God will now deal with the situation and that person's role in it. You should pray for that person when the memory of the wrong-doing comes to mind.
What if you need to seek forgiveness from someone who is now dead?
Obviously, it is now too late to seek forgiveness from him. But it is never too late to seek forgiveness from God. Confess your wrong-doing to God and honestly and earnestly ask for His forgiveness. Provided you are sincere and repent God will forgive you.
And once God has forgiven you this is the end of the matter. Stop picking at the situation over and again. Stop feeling guilty at your wrong-doing. God has forgiven you. By picking at the situation you are insulting God in that you are saying He has not forgiven you. That He was wrong that He forgave you.
How do you think He feels about that? Doubting His love, His mercy and His forgiveness.
Accept His forgiveness graciously and move on with a joyful heart.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:24
NOTE: This post is part of a series of articles entitled "What Jesus said about ..." If you click the label "What Jesus said" at the end of the article you'll be able to access all the articles.
ReplyDelete...forgiving is possible, but forgetting isn't.
ReplyDeleteAmen Tom. God bless.
DeleteI believe that God has forgiven me, but forgiving myself is a whole 'nother matter. I need to read this again. And again. However long it takes.
ReplyDeleteYes please Mevely; forgive yourself. God has forgiven you. By not forgiving yourself you are implying that your standards of forgiveness are higher than His. What do you think He makes of that?
DeleteGod bless you. Praying for you.
I think the hardest person to forgive is myself. I pray that Jesus will continue to work in and through me when it comes to forgiveness. Blessings, Victor!
ReplyDeleteWe often can't forgive ourselves because we still feel guilty. Is it the devil playing with our guilt maybe? Is he telling us that God has not forgiven us?
DeleteGod bless, Martha.
Thank you! Good advice and insight. Looking forward to the rest of the series...
ReplyDeleteSherry & jack on this side, but also on YOUR side.
Thanks Jack. The series started yesterday with "Anger".
DeleteGod bless always.
Good advice that we must remember.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill. God bless.
DeleteI don't hold on to grudges. I just try to live my values, love and kindness always. That's enough to keep me busy.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good attitude, CM. God bless.
DeleteWe all need forgiveness. So happy Jesus has forgiven me so it make it easier to forgive others. :)
ReplyDeleteAmen K. God bless.
DeleteI LOVE this - I can going to copy and paste this!
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day.
Sandie
Thank you Chatty Crone for sharing this post. Other articles in this series to follow. Best Valentine wishes.
DeleteGod bless.
You are so right in what you have written here Victor. It brought to my mind when I was a prison visitor on a lifers' wing in Cardiff prison. A young man there cried every day that I went into his cell to visit him. 'What is the matter?' I askes him. He said that he could not forgive himself for killing his best friend with a claw hammer. I said 'But God forgives you because you are repentant'. After that he changed completely, and wanted to know more about God and the Lord. God bless.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Brenda, we need to learn to forgive ourselves when we have confessed and God has forgiven us. Thank you for your prison work.
DeleteGod bless.