Matthew 6:14-15
For if I forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], my heavenly Father will also forgive me. But if I do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will my Father forgive me my trespasses. [Forgiveness is a requirement. It is not an emotion or a feeling but a decision. It is not based on their deserving forgiveness any more than I deserved forgiveness. This does not mean I must trust the person. They must earn my trust. I choose to live in instant forgiveness!]
Everything action that we take comes as a result of a decision that we make; in our minds, we think about what to do, the pros and the cons, and then we decide what is the best thing to do. Forgiveness is one of the those internal decisions that we make because it seems to be the only solution that makes sense. The world's view of forgiveness is not the same as God's view on forgiveness; the average person would say that they could forgive a person if that person apologizes for what they did, or if that person does some type of action to resolve the issue; the Lord says that forgiveness is a necessary discipline that His children should practice everyday, because we often encounter people and situations that require a forgiving nature.
God wants us to forgive the people in our lives, the coworkers, the bosses, the stranger that pushed you aside in the street to get into the door ahead of you - all of these people are loved by the Lord just as He loves you, and He wants us to show grace and goodwill to everyone that we meet, because He shows grace and mercy to us everyday!
It is often hard sometimes to deal with people that always want to get their own way, regardless of the cost to the other people around them or what it will take to accomplish that goal. And what happens when they get what they want? Many times it works out and there are no big consequences, but when it doesn't work out and there are HUGE consequences, they will deny that their actions were the cause of the issue. These are people and circumstances that require a forgiving spirit; arguments and resentments will not solve the crisis and will only make the problem worse.
Bring your fears, anxieties, anger, sorrows, and resentments to the Lord; confess to Him how you feel and surrender all of your issues at His feet, and let Him heal you of the pain, and then watch as He changes the circumstances in your life and turn that problem into a victory; He will settle the score with your true enemy, the devil, who uses unbelievers to put obstacles and hardships into your life!
We need to show the love of God by forgiving others and by cooperating with them when necessary. We could go live on a mountain and forget the rest of the world; the Lord is requiring us to live in the world to show what true love is. That usually means that we will face trials and tribulations, and that someone will hurt our feelings; when that happens, we have the priviledge to take it to Jesus Christ, who will understand our every thought and our desire to be loved. He will fill us up with that love, and He will cherish us, guide us, and heal us of every ache and trial if we let Him!
(Jesus says) "Be at peace, my children, because I am here for you. No one will be able to have the victory ultimately over you, because when the enemy comes into your life like a flood, I will be there for you. Release those who have hurt you and forgive them, and I promise that I will forgive you!
My Little Light Will Shine http://mylittlelightwillshine.blogspot.com/
Comments