Matthew 6:12
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A couple of months ago, I was talking with my grandmother one day… sharing what I thought would be good news with her about something my husband and I were doing. She burst into tears. I could not figure out what was wrong. Finally, she managed to say, “Oh… I’ve told you things.” I smiled and said, “Yes, you have… and I’ve listened!” This did not console her. What I did not know until a few weeks later was that she was trying to apologize for unkind things she might have said or done. In essence, she was asking for my forgiveness. With our communication barrier, I not only acknowledged her “confession”… I validated it! I have since corrected this. I thought my grandmother and I long ago forgave each other for anything we might have said or done that was harsh or unkind… or that we perceived as such. But in her last days/weeks/months of life, her “transgressions” are weighing on her… and she is desperately seeking to “make things right” with everyone she knows.
One of the hardest things for any of us to do is to forgive others. We seem to enjoy hanging onto our grudges. “But you have no idea what he/she did to me,” you may say. “I can’t just let people walk all over me.” Or, “I am so deeply hurt by what was said or done that I just don’t think I could ever forgive him/her.” Hello! Have you read the New Testament? Do you know what people did to Jesus? Have you taken a look in the mirror? Do you know the things you say and do to others every single day?
If you have asked Jesus to forgive you, then you must forgive others. We read this over and again in the New Testament. Jesus has reminded us many times that we must “take up the cross” if we wish to follow Him and be His disciple. Too many people are more than willing to accept the forgiveness of Jesus and salvation through His blood and sacrifice on the cross… but totally unwilling to offer forgiveness and mercy to others. You can’t have it both ways and claim to be a true disciple of Christ.
Where do you stand on this? Are you a “taker” and not a “giver?” Do you call yourself a Christian, yet continue to hold grudges? Do you strive to be a true disciple of Christ… to offer grace, mercy and forgiveness to others, whether they deserve it or not? Do you realize that this is what Jesus does for you every single minute of the day? Stop and ask God to help you with this. Pray for a spirit of kindness, love, mercy, and forgiveness. Operate fully in the blessings of Jesus… pay forward His forgiveness to others. If you can’t do it from your heart, do it in His name! Ask God to keep you forgiven… and to strengthen you to forgive others in kind. Now, who do you need to forgive today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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