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Where would we be without forgiveness?

We learn early in our Christian life that we have to forgive people who wrong us. As we explore the subject, we hear that sometimes we have to forgive for our own sakes and sanity. We have circumstances we need to get beyond and can only do this through forgiving the other person. If we didn’t extend or seek forgiveness when needed, we would live life in fear, almost in terror.

The Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus, and to us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ he forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)

If we have been forgiven by Jesus, we have to immolate Him and extend pardon for whatever has been done to us.

What would our world be like without forgiveness?

Every night on the TV news or in the newspaper, we hear of terrible events happening to people and their property all over the world. If forgiveness were not an option for us, the world would be a horrific place. We would have no peace, interpersonal or personal. All our thoughts and actions would be based on fear and paranoia. Neighbors would not care to know one another out of this fear.

If we did not practice forgiveness, the insult we have received would stay in our minds and gnaw at our insides until we would find ourselves physically ill.

Forgiveness Extended:

When I consider forgiveness I think of two instances.

*1.) The Amish families in Pennsylvania forgave the man who stormed one of their schoolhouses and killed several of the children. The people of the village CHOSE to practice forgiveness.

*2.) Kent Whitaker, a man in Houston, Texas lost his wife and younger son to violence orchestrated by the older son. All four of them were injured by gunmen in what looked like a burglary. He wrote a book, Murder by Family, about the crime and its aftermath. The older son sits in prison and awaits execution. The father wrote the son and said he forgave him. Then the father spelled out exactly what he was forgiving. Two of those things that stayed with me were:

*He would never have biological grandchildren.

* He would never celebrate 50 years of marriage to the mother of his children.

This father felt he had to forgive his son in order to be able to get beyond the trauma, fear, and anger. He has since remarried.

God himself gives us a formula to receive His healing of our world’s woes:

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

God lays out a plan for us. We, those of us who call themselves Christians, have to approach God’s throne with broken contrite hearts. We have to admit our sins and ask forgiveness for them. Our next step is to truly look at Him, spend time with Him, and renounce our sinful ways.

Then, God will listen intently to us, will forgive us for our wrongdoing, and heal our land from its woes.

Jesus and Forgiveness

Our LORD, Jesus Christ hung on the cross and asked the Father, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:24 He chose to do this because of His love for even those who perpetrated this travesty. He asked God to look on them with kindness, in spite of their actions.

Sometimes we have to ask God to help us forgive another person. Because of our humanity, we might not be able to without His help. We have times when we have to forgive ourselves before we can forgive others. This can be the hardest part of the process.

As we enter into this season called summer, let us all learn and practice forgiveness of ourselves and of others. We will live more Christ-like lives for our effort.

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

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