Forgive and Be Set Free

Matthew 18:21-22. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”

Forgiveness is a big topic. People understand the importance of forgiving those who have offended or harmed them in some way, but often they hold onto grudges or anger anyway. They believe that they are somehow justified in withholding forgiveness.

I won’t chase this big topic too far in a brief reflection. But I do want to communicate clearly that if you have not truly forgiven someone and are holding onto some anger, you are hurting yourself. Ongoing anger and bitterness against someone is a cancer that eats up your insides. It doesn’t matter if the offender is unrepentant or has not taken a step to apologize. Don’t wait, just forgive.

I am part of a men’s group that meets every Friday morning to share our lives with one another and to discuss good books. One of the best books we have read was Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall. He talks about how God can enable us to forgive even when we don’t think we can. So if you’re finding it difficult to forgive someone, start by praying about this. One of Kendall’s most powerful points is the challenge to pray that God would bless the offending person. I tried this and initially found that my prayers felt insincere. But I stayed with it and found that over time I could indeed pray God’s blessings for someone who offended me – and mean it!

Jesus forgave those who crucified him, even as he was giving his life for them and for us. Take a step of forgiveness today.