Читать книгу When Hearts Heal - Linda K. Estes - Страница 24

20…FORGIVENESS

Good morning! Forgiveness is one of those commands from God that’s not optional. When Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18:22 how often he had to forgive a wrongdoer, Jesus’ answer surprised him. Peter offered as an answer of seven times but Jesus said, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Clearly that wasn’t the answer Peter was looking for, and I bet not the one we sometimes look for either. Jesus wants us to forgive each and every time we are wronged. I’ve been talking to the Lord a lot about forgiveness lately and He’s teaching me some truths that might also help you forgive from the heart as we are commanded to do.

Let’s first look at what forgiveness doesn’t require of us. Forgiveness doesn’t require us to excuse someone’s behavior. Forgiveness also doesn’t mean that we have to forget about the wrong that was done to us and act like an ostrich with our head in the sand pretending like the wrong never happened. But what forgiveness does require us to do is to make an intentional effort on our part to forgive the person or persons who have wronged us. Forgiveness also requires us to agree with God that we surrender our right to settle the score with that person or persons. God wants us to extend the same love and mercy that He extended to us to those that hurt us. I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s just hard for me to do the things that forgiveness requires of me. It’s like I want to say, “Lord, all of these tears and heartache can’t just be for nothing.” And what the Lord is showing me is that our pain and suffering does not go unnoticed. The Lord sees every tear that falls and hears every time our heart breaks because it breaks His, too. The Holy Spirit is waiting to help us do what we can’t do by ourselves and that’s to forgive those who hurt us.

Holy Spirit, forgiving others is hard for us to do sometimes but with Your help we can do what is required of us and what is best for us. Thank you for always being there for us. Amen.