True Forgiveness

Forgiveness… what a convicting word.  What does it mean?  It’s hard enough to tell someone that we forgive them.  It’s even harder to actually do it, whether we ever tell them or not.  The Greek word translated as forgiveness means to “let go” or “release”.

A friend recommended the book, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst. My first thoughts were that this would be a pretty easy read for me as most people have no idea what all I’ve had to forgive in my life.  Then thoughts immediately came to mind of those whose words had hurt me personally or their actions had hurt my family. I thought of how I had “forgiven” them by being around them, doing things for them, and treating them nicely even after what they had done.  Then I realized, that if those things were so easy to recall, maybe I hadn’t truly let go and released them.  Maybe I hadn’t truly forgiven them after all. 

This wasn’t an easy pill for me to swallow.  Especially since I know that I’ve done many things that have offended our Lord and that no one was treated more unfairly than He was.  Although I still struggle, I’m mindful of the conviction I felt that day and I’m thankful that the Lord has truly forgiven me and doesn’t dwell on my sins years later.  Scripture tells us that our sins are released once we confess them.  According to Psalm 103, they are as far as the east is from the west and Micah 7 tells us they are cast into the sea of forgetfulness. 

The verses that follow The Lord's Prayer, the model prayer given to the disciples by Jesus, are... For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  -Matthew 6:14-15   What's interesting is that it doesn't say to forgive them if they ask.  It just says to forgive.  Some may debate if we are required to forgive someone that doesn't apologize and ask for our forgiveness.  I think the answer to this revolves around further instructions given in Matthew 22... to love the Lord with all of our heart and to love others as ourselves.  If we love people as Christ tells us, we will want to forgive them, even if they never ask.

Lord, create in me a pure heart. Help me love people as you would want me to.  Help me to truly let go of things that hurt me so that I can live a life that pleases you. Help me not to let it affect my relationships with others as they are not responsible for my past hurts.  

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your sins.   - Mark 11:25

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