I arrived early at my church to help set up for an event. A woman stood crying at the opposite end of the sanctuary. Shed been cruel and gossiped about me in the past, so I quickly drowned out her sobs with a vacuum cleaner. Why should I care about someone who didnt like me?
When the Holy Spirit reminded me how much God had forgiven me, I crossed the room. The woman shared that her baby had been in the hospital for months. We cried, embraced, and prayed for her daughter. After working through our differences, were now good friends.
In Matthew 18, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who decided to settle his accounts. A servant who owed a staggering amount of money pleaded for mercy. Soon after the king canceled his debt, that servant tracked down and condemned a man who owed him far less than what hed owed the king. When word got back to the king, the wicked servant was imprisoned because of his own unforgiving spirit (vv. 2334).
Choosing to forgive doesnt condone sin, excuse the wrongs done to us, or minimize our hurts. Offering forgiveness simply frees us to enjoy Gods undeserved gift of mercy, as we invite Him to accomplish beautiful works of peace-restoring grace in our lives and our relationships.
Are you withholding forgiveness from someone who has harmed you? As you reflect on how merciful God has been to you, why not ask Him to help you have a spirit of forgiveness.
For more on this topic, read Free to Forgive at ourdailyjourney.org/2016/06/12/free-to-forgive.
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