Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive. —C.S. Lewis
#1 - THE SPIRITUAL AND RELATIONAL ISSUE OF FORGIVENESS IS UNAVOIDABLE IN LIFE.
People cannot live together unless they forgive each other just for being who they are. —Francis Varillon
When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free. —Catherine Ponder
#2 - THE CHOICE TO FORGIVE IMPACTS YOUR OWN LIFE MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE’S
Not forgiving is like taking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die. —Ann Lammott
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. —Lewis Smedes
I felt I had to forgive him. Only by doing so could I push it away from myself. If I hadn’t been able to forgive him then these feelings of frustration and anger would have continued to eat away at me and would have lived on—this entire experience would have continued to live on inside me. It is as if he would have won in the end if I had let that get to me. I didn’t want hate to poison me because hate always backfires, it comes back on yourself. —Natascha Kampusch (kidnapped at age 10)
To forgive is not just to be altruistic; in my view it is the best form of self-interest. The process of forgiving does not exclude hatred and anger. These emotions are all part of being human. When I talk of forgiveness I mean the ability to let go of the right to revenge and to slip the chains of rage that bind you to the person who harmed you. When you forgive you are free of the hatred and anger that locks you in a state of victimhood. If you can find it in yourself to forgive, you can move on, and you may even help the perpetrator to become a better person. —Desmond Tutu
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Jesus there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” —Luke 23:33-34
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” —Matthew 5:43-48
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” —Matthew 7:21
Every time that we mirror Jesus’ pattern in our own relationships and interactions – we are showing the world what God looks like.
God will not only release the world from its burden of guilt but will also, so to speak, release himself from the burden of always having to be angry with a world gone wrong. —N.T. Wright
#3 - FORGIVENESS DOES NOT ERASE THE PAST. FORGIVENESS OPENS UP THE FUTURE BY BLOCKING THE PAST FROM POISONING IT.
Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family. —Henri Nouwen
#4 - FORGIVENESS IS THE ONLY THING THAT CAN SET US FREE.
QUESTIONS FOR PRAYER AND RESPONSE
1. What relationships or situations in your life are calling out for forgiveness?
2. What is the cost for you of holding onto it and not forgiving?
3. What is the freedom you can gain by letting go of it and forgiving?
Will you open your heart to Jesus today?
The really good news is that our standing with God isn’t based on the quality of your decisions, because we’ve all decided to do things that are wrong and sinful, but our standing with God is based on the goodness of God, and let me tell you how good he is. He loves you so much that he sent Jesus, his only Son, who was perfect in every way, who died for the forgiveness of our sins. God raised him from the dead, and our response is to simply decide. If you want to make that decision today, pray with us:
Heavenly Father, Forgive my sins. Jesus, save me. I trust you. Fill me with your Spirit, so I can pre-decide to follow you and to show your love in all that I do. Thank you fore new life. I give you all of mine. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen
If you prayed that prayer today, reach out to us and let us know so that we can journey with you!