LIVE WITH A FORGIVING HEART
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
These words of Jesus are powerful—if you don’t forgive others, you can’t be forgiven. We often put a condition on our willingness to forgive. We think we can wait until the person apologizes or realizes how wrong they were. But Jesus puts no such condition on forgiveness.
On the cross we see Jesus’s first statement proving that Jesus practiced what He preached. After they had beaten and mocked Jesus, they took Him to Golgotha and nailed Him to a cross. In pain, agony, and public humiliation Jesus speaks from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
How can you offer forgiveness to people who are spitting on you and laughing at you? That takes divine intervention. That is not a human forgiveness. Jesus had spent time in prayer in the Garden before His arrest. Part of that prayer time was yielding His will to the Father’s will. Jesus had to prepare Himself to forgive.
The crucifixion story offers another insight into Jesus’ ability to forgive. While hanging on the cross Jesus offers forgiveness to a criminal hanging with Him. The criminal had no time to join a church, be baptized in water, or pay his tithes—yet he was forgiven by Jesus simply by asking for it.
Jesus’ first two statements from the cross were about forgiveness. The reason Jesus was on the cross was to bring forgiveness to humanity. He demonstrated that by His choices. He could have spoken curses on those who were mistreating Him—but He didn’t.
Much of my life I struggled with anger issues. I grew up with a strong sense of right and wrong. I would get angry if I saw what I perceived as an injustice. I would even dream of hurting those who were causing the injustice. It has taken the grace of God and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to work in Darius and teach me to forgive and release people into His hands.
I wish I could say it was one prayer and I never struggled again. But that spirit of revenge pops up more frequently than it should. I still find myself having to ask God’s forgiveness for my attitude and asking God to bless those who I think are in the wrong. It looks like it is going to be a life-long journey to learn how to fully forgive.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me to live with a forgiving heart. Forgive me for the times I have tried to take revenge or harbored unforgiveness. Empower me to live in forgiveness as my first response.