Thursday; June 12

I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness recently.  While I am absolutely thankful that God has forgiven me for what I have done, I also realize the challenge it is for me to forgive others.  I know that the Bible repeatedly says something to the effect of, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32), so why is it so hard to let go of what people have done to us?  There are several reasons why we choose to hang on to offenses done to us – pride, emotion, selfishness, vindication – each one a powerful force.  Yet, I think there is something that might enable us to relinquish our perceived right of revenge – maturity.  Many of us have heard the phrase, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48).  In our own way, we tend to process this in a variety of ways, but I believe this concept of perfection isn’t necessarily that we strive for sinlessness as much as it is that we grow and mature.  Sure, we should do all we can do to be righteous, but we all know that the absolute righteousness of God cannot be achieved by man, so what is Jesus driving at?  Again, it is my opinion that He is challenging us to grow up!  Seek to think in a mature way, just like God thinks.  Now, back to forgiveness for a minute.  We have been told that God is willing to forgive us, so if we want to be “complete” like Him, we are going to have to learn to forgive others.

Are we ready to grow spiritually?  Are we dedicated to becoming like our Father in heaven?  If we are serious about this, it is going to require forgiveness.  Grudges have no place in the goodness of righteousness.  If we are wanting to soar in our spiritual lives, we are going to have release the bonds of selfishness that keep us tied down by practicing forgiveness.

Think About It!