Forgiveness has been on my mind these last couple of weeks. I can’t begin to understand the depth of God’s love for us and the pain that He went through to watch His only Son take on our sins so that we could live a beautiful life in eternity with our Father in heaven. What I know is that if the enemy wanted to cripple us, he would work to shade our eyes from the concept of forgiveness. The enemy would try to dissuade us from forgiving ourselves and would work to drive wedges between us and our close relationships. The enemy would tell us not to forgive ourselves on a daily basis… which would lead us down the wrong road.

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Luke 14:4

Forgiveness is foundational in the message of God. Forgiveness is at the core of the character of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is the beginning of freedom.

God forgives us for being selfish, impolite, greedy, jealous, and foolish. We need to forgive ourselves and others for doing the same. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.” God created families because they are held together by relationships. God is all about relationships. It is the reason behind His plan and creation for families. God didn’t give me a husband, children, extended family, and friends so that I could sit back and be prideful, or so that we would be perfect and wonderful. He gave us relationships so that through the difficulties we could learn to trust Him more, learn to be shaped by Him, learn to love better. So that He could arrest my pride so I can rest in Jesus. He can and will take care of all details as I trust in Him.

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”

Proverbs 10:8

It is wise to forgive. It is a prudent use of your time, your heart, and your mind. It is foolish to think that hanging onto anger, jealousy, greed, selfishness, rudeness will serve us better. Those feelings may be completely justified. But what I’m saying and reminding myself of is this: Jesus Christ took on all of our sins…. every one of yours and mine and all of those people before and after us. Jesus Christ took on the pain, the suffering, the separation from God for all of yours and my sins. We owe it to Him to forgive ourselves and others. We owe it to Him to remember to forgive so that His love can shine through us and be the light it was intended to be for those who do not yet know Him.

“This is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best.”

Philippians 1:9-10