Forgiveness

Why is forgiveness such a troublesome word? I try to teach my children about the importance and value it brings. I know that if we don’t forgive then the anger and resentment we feel will continue to eat at us from the inside out, causing deterioration to our mental and physical well being while ripping apart our familes and ultimately destroying our lives. (dramatic but true)

We’ve all experienced heartache and anguish. It might be a friend who told your most intimate secret or broke a promise that cut deep. Your boss may have offered you a promotion and hired someone else instead. Maybe a parent or family member has betrayed your trust or even worse has abused you in some way that has left you broken and angry. It might feel like you can never forgive them for what they’ve done, although in the end it is you who really suffers. It’s like a cancer that starts out in one small part of the body and over time spreads far and wide until there’s nothing that can be done!

Personally I love to forgive someone once they come to me and tell me how sorry they are for causing me distress. The trouble I have is when there is NO apology…it might be that they don’t realize how much they hurt me…or it may be that they don’t care…either way I tend to hold a grudge. I also am angered when somebody wrongs my family…this is when my claws come out and my eyes turn red (pretty image, I know). These are the times I need to stop and pray for a HUGE attitude adjustment! What kind of example am I setting for my children, my unbelieving family members or even to myself?

I’m tired of the knots in my stomach when I’m about to see someone who has harmed me or my loved ones. I don’t want to pretend all is fine when it hurts so much that I want to grab my husband and kids and run as far away as possible. If you are experiencing this same feeling of dread it’s not too late. It doesn’t have to consume you or me because we have a choice. What if it was you that upset or offended somebody…they’ve let it go and forgiven you… yet you still can’t forgive yourself. Accepting forgiveness can be just as complicated as offering it to another.

I imagine that’s because most of us have trouble forgiving ourselves and wonder why we deserve forgiveness in the first place. The reason is simple: God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die a horrible death so WE could be forgiven. He loves US that much…so when we’re asked to forgive others their transgressions…it’s really a tiny request in the big picture…don’t ya think?

Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”