Friday, July 8, 2011

Forgiveness

Forgiveness.  Is it a conscious choice or an emotional state or both?
The Bible says that we must forgive by faith. Out of obedience. 
But because we are human this is sometimes very hard to do.  We have to prepare ourselves emotionally to “buck up” if you will, to “dust yourself off and get back on the horse”, to close a hurtful wound and just move on.
So, I say both.  We choose to forgive because the Lord has commanded us to do so. Then we prepare our hearts to do it. 
Jesus taught what has now become known as the Golden Rule, treat others the way that you would like to be treated. (Matt 7:12)
How often do you find yourself not doing this? 
If you don’t practice the Golden Rule, why should those around you?  Do you find yourself holding a grudge and not forgiving because you have been wronged in some way? 
People get their feelings hurt.  People make mistakes.  We are all sinners. 
What Would Jesus Do?  Seriously.  I tell my children when they are unsure if the choice they are making is the right one, ask yourself,  What would Jesus Do ? 
He would forgive. And He did forgive. All of us. 
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  (Colossians 3:13)
Forgive and forget.  It’s really simple.  Don’t be selfish. No one owes you anything.  Close your heart to hatred and open it for love and understanding.
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4: 20) 
I’ll leave you with a quote from. Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who survived a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust.
 "Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you."