When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), God made you alive together with Christ, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross. - Colossians 2:13-14
For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15
How often do we think about forgiveness? The scriptures above serve as our reminder. They remind us of how God has forgiven our sins, even though we do not deserve it, but also, how we are to forgive others.
Forgiveness allows us to course correct when we have sinned. Believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins serves as a good reminder for us to forgive others so that we can live in the freedom to walk in a new light with Jesus.
What do we gain or lose when we forgive another person?
Gain - joy, freedom, love, close walk with God
Lose - anger, bitterness, chain of offense
I have always loved the gift of forgiveness that God has given us!
Forgiving others requires action on our part. I recall a story, forever etched in my memory bank, in which I had to extend forgiveness to a co-worker, and it was not easy. God provided such a perfect teaching moment for me while working as a manager. Another manager, whom I thought was a friend, lied about a situation that put my character in a negative light. I prided myself on being very ethical so you can understand how I felt hurt, disappointed, and angry.
I vented to a woman on my team who, thankfully, was a devoted Christian. She would take her Bible during her lunch break, walk to a park bench and dive into it every single day, unless it was raining. I mean we lived in Florida, so you had sunny days year-round. I will never forget her response to me, even though it has been over 30 years. She said to think of the offense as a hot piece of coal and as you are holding the hot coal, your hand is burning. The offender is not hurting, you are hurting yourself as you stay angry. Drop the piece of hot coal. Jesus died for your sins and took the pain for you, and you can live in freedom knowing that your Savior knows the truth and He is the only one we should be concerned with.
I will confess that it took me some time to understand the magnitude of her words. I was in awe of how she lived her life. She always walked around in peace as if nothing upset her. Part of the process of forgiving was understanding how my pride was standing in the way. I will never forget that life lesson. When we surrender to God, He fights our battles for us.
The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm. - Exodus 14:14
God is so good!
Sister in Christ,
Amy
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