Forgiveness

 Few things have such power to shape our lives as forgiveness. If we fail to forgive others, it will bring us down with unresolved anger and bitterness. However, if we practice true and complete forgiveness, we are set free to be all the Lord designed us to be. Too many people are in bondage to unforgiveness, because they think they are justified in being angry with another person, because of how they were hurt. That is never the case. Jesus gave Peter a remarkable answer to his question about how many times he should forgive a brother or sister who hurt him. (Matthew 18:21,22) We need to understand His answer and live by it all of our days.

In the minds of many people it is very gracious to forgive another person 3 times for hurting them. Then, they wash their hands of them. There are not too many people who would forgive the same person 7 times for doing the same basic thing to harm them. However, Jesus told us to forgive 70 times 7. Now, that doesn't mean 490 times. Seven is the number of completion, so 70 times 7 means that we always forgive whoever hurts us, no matter the circumstances. That means, we release them from any debt to repay us for what they have done to us. That way our heart is pure before them, and we are not holding a grudge. That way, no bitterness develops, and we can love them. It does not mean that we trust them completely, either. If someone harms us in some way, we are right to be careful not to open ourselves to be harmed again in the same way. However, in being careful, we do it in love, and we want to try to help them grow in the Lord.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 20-23.