What I'm learning about forgiveness

Forgiveness is hard!

There are times that i don’t want to forgive and I am in one of those times now. I’ve had people hurt me— bad and i don’t want to forgive, I want revenge. I know that doesn’t sound very Christian or very pastor like but it’s honest and I’ll bet that you have had a time you felt like that to. In Romans 12:17 the Apostle Paul says Do not repay anyone evil for evil. But sometimes I want to. I want them to hurt as much as I hurt. I want them to experience the pain that I feel. I want it to cost them something. Paul then says Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. But I don’t want to good to them.

I am reminded that Jesus was accused, tried, beaten and killed even though he was innocent. He was betrayed by close friends, he was mocked, ridiculed, gossiped about and falsely accused and his first words on the cross was Father forgive them . You see, all of the human race put him on that cross. He went there willingly to die for your sins and mine. As Hebrews 12:2 (tpt) says Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his,he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation,. Jesus loved us so much that forgiveness is what drove him to die for us- to reconcile us to himself.

So, if Jesus could do that for me then I can do what God calls me to do in Ephesians 4:32 to forgive one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. It is hard and my selfish heart doesn’t want to but it is the right way to live because if I’m not careful then this unforgiveness will turn to bitterness and it will turn me from God. So, I’m working on it. I’m not there yet but it will come one day.