How many have ever sinned, been sinned against, will sin, will be sinned against, have offended someone close, will offend someone close? Should I go on? That’s ALL of us! So, we ALL will need to forgive and be forgiven many times. That is why forgiveness is so very important. It is required to make any relationship work long-term. To err is human, to forgive is ____________? That is right, “Divine.” Forgiveness is Divine as it comes from love and “love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God” (1 John 4:7-8).
Does forgiveness cost anything? Yes, forgiveness has a cost, but the cost of not forgiving is much greater. So, it’s worth it to forgive, and to forgive quickly. When you forgive, it may cost you some pride, some risk of being offended again, some time, etc. When you do not forgive, it costs you some character, relationship quality, it binds you, and wastes negative emotional energy. Psychologists tell us of many physical, emotional, and psychological maladies and defense mechanisms are created when we hold in anger. Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, hard-heartedness, hatred, depression, frustration, and actually poisons us and future relationships. Someone has said, “It burns a bridge, that we must one day cross.“
There are three responses to all actions. 1) A Satanic response: giving evil for good (always bad). 2) An unsaved/worldly/fleshly response: giving good for good and evil for evil (responding only in kind). and 3) A Godly response: giving good for evil (always good). Forgiveness is godly, giving good for evil. It extends love unconditionally, not just an immature conditional love, conditioned on someone’s behavior and attitude always being perfect. Which by the way, only God is always and only perfect. Unforgiveness is a very lonely place to live, it always isolates, and places you by yourself. This is really rough when you won’t forgive yourself. Not to mention, that when you won’t forgive others, it makes it harder to accept the forgiveness from others.
Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” God has forgiven us everything for all eternity. Forgiveness is Divine. The Disciples asked Jesus, “How often shall…I forgive” and should I keep forgiving even if the person keeps on sinning against me (Mat. 18:21-35; Luk. 17:3-5)? The religious leaders of the day taught that every godly person had an obligation to forgive up to three times. Peter thought he was being super spiritual as he asked if he needed to forgive “till seven times?” Jesus’ response was the famous, “until seventy times seven.” In other words, a loving person always keeps forgiving unlimited offenses and does not keep track of wrongs. I commit to trying to quickly forgive those who wrong me, how about you? Let’s be better, not bitter. Forgiveness makes life and every relationship so much sweeter…
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