LENTEN DEVOTIONAL - Day 8

Forgiveness

 “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”-Matthew 6:15

            Think of what it would be like if God decided not to forgive you of your sins. There would be no hope of salvation from those sins would there?  You would carry them until your eventual death and then pay the consequences for them.  So why is it that we so often decide we would like to play god and hold a grudge against someone, not forgiving them of their transgression(s) against us?  We must look at the bigger picture. 

            I know someone who claims to be a Christian, yet has never forgiven their Dad, who is not a believer, for being a “bad” father.  This person hasn’t spoken to him in over 25 years.  I lived in the same household, yet have never thought of him as a bad father.  I saw something this other person apparently didn’t see and that is that he is an unregenerate soul.  He has not experienced the renewing power of God’s salvation.  In other words, he really doesn’t know any better … he has done the best he could with what he had at his disposal; namely, his own resources, minus God.  

            Do you have a person in your life now that you feel you cannot forgive?  Do you understand that each situation and circumstance in life arises to make you stronger … to challenge you to take on more of who Christ is?  While as a general rule I don’t like the commercialization of Christianity, I do see wisdom in the mantra “What would Jesus do?”(or “WWJD”) What would Jesus do when it comes to forgiving?  He already answered that question when He willingly spread out His arms and allowed Himself to be nailed to a wooden cross for your sins and mine. What would Jesus do if He were in your shoes? He would forgive, for not to forgive breeds bitterness and bitterness, if left unchecked, leads to spiritual death. 

            Jesus also answered the question regarding how many times we are to forgive; seventy times seven (Matt. 18:21-22), which is symbolic for an infinite number of times.  We allow ourselves to become mired in the whys and the wherefores of given situations, when we should unhesitatingly forgive.  We must remember certain things so as not to become a door mat, however, we don’t need to remember as a vehicle of vengeance. God will settle any scores that need to be settled on the last day (Rom. 12:19).

            Our ambition and goal as believers is to focus on Christ and His example of how to live. Focusing on Christ makes it impossible to focus on a transgression done to us. Nothing good comes from an unforgiving heart.  Let it go.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller