Forgiving

Matthew 18:32–33 (ESV)

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

Good morning Zebras,

Today’s attribute is “forgiving.” 

When Gary pulled it out of the attribute box I had a twinge of sympathy for pastors who have to come up with something new to say each and every Sunday.  I felt like I just talked about this there doesn’t seem to be anything else to say.

God has forgiven us our sins because of the finished work of Christ on the cross and because of that we must forgive others.  It seems pretty cut and dried, one of the basic truths of the Christian faith.

But that doesn’t mean we always do it.

A few months ago I shared I was having trouble forgiving someone.  The truth is I didn’t really want to.  What they did was wrong and they never asked for forgiveness, they just continued on their merry little way oblivious to the damage they left in their wake.

But God kept working on me.  He kept bringing it back around; he wouldn’t let the issue die until I finally just gave in and forgave them. It wasn’t a big and dramatic thing; I didn’t magnanimously call and tell them that they were now forgiven.  I didn’t need to, I just needed to let it go and move on.

And I’m glad I did because nothing weighs down your spirit more than unforgiveness.

God did not tell us to forgive others to make our lives difficult.  Nor did He hinge His forgiveness on our ability to forgive. He forgives us because of Christ, period. And He told us to forgive others because He loves us and knows what’s best for us.

Maybe that is why it’s so important for us to understand forgiveness and why God keeps bringing it up.  Because He wants us to really understand down to the bottom of our soul that we are “dirty rotten sinners” completely unworthy of His forgiveness and yet totally forgiven because of Christ and then, because of that, be willing  to extend that same love and forgiveness to others.

Love,

Jill