One of the most difficult things to do for a person wronged is to forgive. It is very unnatural for most to forget an offense against them, let go of their hurt, and remain nice and even helpful to that same person who inflicted them pain.
But as followers of Jesus, we are being called to forgive those who have hurt us, just as we have been forgiven by the Lord. A constant reminder peppered throughout the whole Bible, to make us remember that we ought to forget the wrongs done against us just as our God tosses our offenses against Him behind His back.
“But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:15
The kind of forgiveness we have to give is the kind that keeps no record of the wrongs done to us. The forgiveness we are called to extend to others is a pardon that sees through the sincerity of the other — hence we can give it again when the offense is repeatedly inflicted.
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22
The kind of forgiveness that is required of us is unconditional, meaning even if the other person is not asking for it, we can give it so that we can free our souls from the anger that gives the enemy a precious space in our hearts.
“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” Ephesians 4:26-27
And while forgiving wholeheartedly can be very difficult, we can muster the emotional strength we need by tapping into God’s power. By asking for His help, we can forgive, forget, and free ourselves from the pain and trauma we felt when we were wronged. And we can look upon Jesus’ example and how He chose to forgive those who have persecuted Him, friends who have betrayed Him, and even those who arrested Him and nailed Him to the cross:
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
When we forgive like Jesus, we do not only follow God’s commands, we also get to show our faithfulness to our Heavenly Father. When we leave room for God’s wrath as written in the scripture, we manifest our trust in our Heavenly Father that He will protect us, and enforce divine justice against those who have consciously hurt us.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
Moreover, the Bible tells us that when we level up our forgiveness by doing good things to those who have treated us badly, we in effect torment them. When we treat our enemies with respect, and serve them the best way we can, and even help them out when they need our aid, it is like killing them with kindness. Sooner or later, our acts of kindness against the person who hurt us will torture them with thoughts of guilt, and could even lead them to be horrified with the prospect of divine retribution.
“To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:20-21
However, when we choose not forgive, we only inflict more damage than that which was done to us. Our world becomes smaller, we are embittered, we get triggered whenever we remember the hurt, and we feel heavier because the emotional wounds inflicted on us remain fresh.
More importantly, when we intentionally hold a grudge, we do not only disobey our Lord’s command, we also invite punishment from God. In one of Jesus’ parables, He mentioned about the unforgiving servant who asked for mercy from the King, but showed no compassion against a person who owed Him. In that parable, Jesus said that when the King learned what the unforgiving servant did to his debtor, he was thrown into jail to be tortured.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”” Matthew 18:32-35
And so, we must do our best to forgive others even if it is painful. It may be difficult, but since we know that it is how we can continue to walk with the Lord, we must try harder, tap into God’s strength, look into our Savior’s example, and strive to give pardon, and just surrender all our cares to the Lord. Pleasing Him and obeying His commands after all, is part of living a life of worship.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Matthew 18:21-35 and Romans 12:14-21 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you need to forgive someone today?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for commanding us to forgive those who hurt us, because by doing so, we are freed from harboring grudges and pain. Please give us the strength to pardon and forget the wrongs inflicted on us, and look to the example of your son Jesus Christ, as we try pardoning those who hurt us the most. Amen.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
