14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:14-15
I think we can all agree that if God teaches us anything, it's redemption. I mean that is the entire theme of the Bible. It is what we teach new Christians when we explain what Jesus did for us. But are we showing others how to forgive? Are we remembering that he asks us to also forgive those who have sinned against us?
No one is perfect, obviously, but when someone does us wrong what is the first thing we do? Unfortunately we fire back using our words, our actions and even our thoughts. We have become so accustomed to holding in bitterness towards people we feel have treated us poorly. I sure am thankful Jesus didn't hold bitterness towards me but instead turned that bitterness into love when he was nailed to the cross. We are supposed to be Christ-like, and in being like him we are to love others no matter what. No matter how badly they treated you, or how badly they treated someone you love, we are to forgive them and move on. It isn't easy, in fact, it is one of the hardest things asked of us. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing. Some may have trouble understanding why, but let me explain forgiveness to you from a different angle.
Everyone, at some point, has made a mistake. Some are little (the ones we make every day) and some are life-altering. Mistakes that influence others, as well as yourself, are the ones that I want to talk about. Once upon a time you told a lie, and it probably hurt someone else when it was revealed. I'm sure it hurt you as well, and when others think so highly of you, it isn't easy to just blow it off. Immediately after, you feel the urge to fix the mistake. You search for ways to mend the relationship, beginning with apologizing over and over. When you realize "I'm sorry" isn't going to cut it, you then begin to try to make it up to the person. But some mistakes are just too hard to fix with words. That pain deep inside your chest at this point is guilt. It's bitter and very hard to swallow. The ultimate goal here is to earn their forgiveness, and honestly, that's all anyone wants when they make a mistake. From this perspective, forgiveness seems much easier. We truly don't understand forgiveness until we are looking for it.
You can never honestly forgive someone right off the bat. It takes work, and it takes God. You can't do it on your own, but the best part is that he doesn't expect you to do it on your own.
People often say, "They don't deserve forgiveness," but to me, that sounds like someone who is full of bitterness. How do you live with that burden? It's never too late to let something go. Refusing to forgive someone or yourself won't get you anywhere.
Let's start living a little differently. Let's forgive more and hold fewer grudges. We can love instead of hate. Our lives can be better if we only allow ourselves to take a step closer to a Christ-like lifestyle.
