BECOMING LIKE CHRIST IN FORGIVENESS

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15

When Jesus hung in agony on the cross, he said these words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

The bottom line of our relationship with God is forgiveness. If God were not willing to forgive our sins, we would be completely without hope. But he continues to forgive us every day. While it’s true that we are already forgiven, we still need to come to him in repentance, seeking forgiveness for the sins that plague us. And in order to have a Christlike spirit, we must learn to forgive others in the same way that Jesus forgives us.

People who forgive are set free from grudges and the cycles of hurt and revenge. When we refuse to forgive another, we harbor the hurt that person has caused us and allow it to continue to fester. We carry it around with us. As a result, we give that person way too much power over us. Even more importantly, when we refuse to forgive others, we show that we don’t understand the great gift of mercy that God has given us. Being able to forgive shows that we understand that we are forgiven people even though we don’t deserve to be forgiven. 

GOD’S PROMISE TO ME:

• You will understand more about my forgiveness as you learn to forgive others.

MY PRAYER TO GOD:

Father, help me be forgiving. I willingly relinquish any grudges or hurts that are a detriment in my life. Make me more sensitive to those who need my forgiveness. Amen.