Forgiveness (Part 2)

I wanted to continue the discussion on forgiveness from last week. I believe this to be an important message. I see way to much bitterness among Christians. Too often we are not willing to forgive others as Jesus has called us to. We don’t readily follow his example.

The biggest hurdle we have to overcome is to recognize our need to forgive another. We live in denial. On the surface we convince others and even ourselves that everything is ok. But deep down the bitterness is there. Eventually, that bitterness comes out and it affects not only our relationship with that one person, but with others as well.

Here is what I would encourage you to do. Right now! Don’t wait. I know if you put it off now, you will not get around to it later. Take out a pen and paper. On that paper write down the name of every person who owes you anything. Then write down what they owe you.

You have a person who gossiped about you and ruined your reputation. They owe your reputation. Write there name down. Then write it down they owe you your reputation.

A drunk driver killed someone you loved. They owe you back the life of your loved one. Write it down.

A parent who was always over-demanding, whose expectations you could never live up to, owes you a word of approval. Write it down.

When you do this, there are probably a couple of things you will recognize. The people who owe you these debts may not even recognize what they owe you. And even if they recognize what it is they owe you, they may very likely not be able to pay you back. Does that sound familiar? The debt of our sin was a debt we could not repay. So God took it upon himself to pay it.

Consider what good it will do to hold a debt against someone that they cannot pay. It will only cost you angst. Forgive the debt! Take a red pen or marker and now cross out the debts you wrote on the paper. Then write paid in full. If that is not enough, take the paper and burn it or bury it in the back yard. Whatever you do, do what you need to do to erase the debt and let the tremendous load you have been carrying come off.

As I said last week, forgiveness is not an option. It is necessary for a right relationship with God and with others. It is not an easy thing to do, but the alternative is even less desirable. Live a life of forgiveness and find the joy God is waiting for you to discover.

Recognize it will cost you to forgive someone else. You will never have that debt repaid back to you. When you forgive you are letting go of your right for retribution. But that is ok, because we have received from Jesus so much more than any other person could ever give us. I have all things in Christ Jesus and I don’t need to hold on anymore to having made right what was wrong, because Jesus has made all things right.