How many people have you had to forgive in your life? Have you had to forgive the same person more than once? Are there people you just can't forgive because they hurt you so terribly? I admit, some of you have endured such cruel acts that I can't imagine having to forgive your offender. How do you forgive someone who abuses your child, or aids in their death? How do you forgive a person who abuses you? How do you forgive a man who abandons you and your children? A very close friend of ours had a friend that was killed by a drunk driver a few days ago. He was a husband and a father to a 12 year old son and a 14 year old daughter. Over the last year, he had experienced a great spiritual renewal and had started a ministry for men to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. His son was in the truck with him when the drunk driver hit them head on. The wife and daughter was following a little ways back in another car. This drunk driver, who also lost his life, destroyed this family. This 12 year old boy will have to live with the image of seeing his father die. The hurt has to be unbearable. How is this young widow of two children going to forgive this man? What testimony will she give those around her if she forgives? Have you noticed the attention the media gives people who forgive those that do horrindous things to them. I believe it is because they aren't use to seeing forgiveness. I remember hearing the parents of Rachel Scott, the first one shot at Columbine, on the Larry King show. They shared their testimony of forgiving the boy that killed their daughter. That testimony was amazing! Larry King had to ask Billy Graham to explain to him how these parents could do such a thing. Billy Graham went straight into the gospel and explained that we forgive because we have been forgiven. What a testimony! It is not just the life changing events that we must forgive, we are to forgive the daily things like rudeness, gossip, backstabbing, lying, disrespect, etc. People are watching! Our response to those who wrong us speaks loudly of who God is. Rachel Scott's family has touched millions through their testimony of God's forgiveness working in them. What if they hadn't forgiven? When we forgive, we touch others by showing the power of God!
Forgiveness does not let the person who hurt us off the hook, it only puts them in God's hands. He will judge them fairly and with justice. It is not our role, it is His! If we do not forgive and we allow bitterness to grow roots in our heart, it will eventually destroy us. Unforgiveness ends up hurting us more than the person who wronged us. When we do not forgive, we give the offender power over us. Forgiveness destroys that power. I recently heard a powerful statement, "Unforgiveness, this is like taking a poison yourself hoping that it will hurt the other person."
I am not saying that forgiveness is easy. It is diificult and we do not have the strength or capacity to forgive on our own. We can only forgive by the grace of God.
I am so thankful for God's forgiveness. I do not deserve it and I do not understand it. I am also thankful that he commands me to forgive; or I probably wouldn't. I am thankful He empowers me to forgive. Living without bitterness gives me peace and joy. It is a blessing not to carry the burden of unforgiveness. However, the most important question is, "How can I receive the abundance of forgiveness from God for the terrible sins I commit, and not pass that forgiveness on to those that hurt me? "
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Hebrew 12:14-15
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