Counter Culture: Forgive One Another — Friday
Luke 6:37
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (CSB)
While I may not know you personally, I know with confidence that you have experienced hurt in your past. I know that you have been treated unfairly and unkindly before. What I don’t know is if you’re still holding on to those hurts, or if you’ve chosen to forgive and give those hurts to God. If you’re like me, you may have walked through a season where it was hard to forgive, or maybe you’re still walking in that season. There was a time in my life when I could NOT forgive someone for what they did to me. It irritated me, it stole my joy, and I couldn’t let go of choosing to be a victim. I wondered why God wasn’t punishing them or bringing justice. However, what I came to find out was that the only person truly suffering because of this was me. I was the one allowing myself to be punished for choosing to have a hard heart.
Some of you might be able to relate to that. Hopefully you’re at the point where you’re willing to forgive, but you don’t know how. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to offer some advice I’ve learned from the Bible:
Forgiveness is not a feeling—it is a deliberate action. We choose to forgive people even if our emotions aren’t in line with the decision yet.
When we forgive, we have to give up some things. We have to give up the right to be a victim and the desire to be right. You may be justified in your feelings, but God didn’t base forgiveness on if we are right or wrong—He commanded us to forgive regardless.
God is our Healer, and He delights in restoring us. When we choose to forgive, we let go of the hurt and allow God to heal our wounds.
Friday’s Reflection
My challenge to end our week is to forgive someone today. Maybe you’ve been holding on to something for a long time. Friend, I say this in love: It’s time to let go. I encourage you to forgive that person, even if you don’t feel like it, and let God do the rest.
