Why is it that when someone does wrong, sometimes even unknowingly, that we (myself included) can’t seem to get past it? I mean think about it, if we mess up and everyone is looking at us as if they’ve sucked on a lemon (nose and mouth twitched up), we want people to have compassion with us. As a matter of fact, in those moments you completely understand why it’s so important for others to forgive your mistake. Why is it so easy to forget that feeling, when someone else is the one who made a mistake?

I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life, yes we grow from them, yes they make us stronger, yes in the long run we find out what being humble is really like. We get that, but again I ask, why can’t we get that same concept for a friend, family member, or even a stranger? I am so guilty of holding on to something that either offended me or hurt me due to another’s mistake(s). I hope I’m not alone when I say, holding on to these things can hurt just as much sometimes as the the mistake(s) themselves.

When we can’t seem to let go of these emotions, they begin to take hold of us. Which is why I fully believe this is the exact reason Jesus told us to not forgive only seven times, but seventy times seven. He knows we are going to mess up. He understood then and understands now, that we will need to be forgiven many times in our lives. He also understands the importance of forgiving another. I was reading an article that stated that having an unforgiving spirit was actually unhealthy. It can cause headaches, it can mess with your sleep (and we all know we neeeeed our sleep), it can cause stomach issues, there were a few more things in there but I think you can see my point.

All unforgiveness is emotion; such as anger, rage, hurt, bitterness. We all know these things are stressful, yet we still choose not to forgive. If we could forgive instead of holding on to all of these stressful emotions, we could allow for a healing process to begin. The longer you hold on to your unforgiveness, the longer the healing process will become. I found out that I couldn’t fully forgive without Jesus. It takes his strength, his guidance, his love, his encouragement, his patience, his gentleness, and understanding that he desires us to carry ourselves in all of those. Once I realized how much love Jesus has for all of us, it became clear to see why he wants us to forgive. Guys, I’m not a girl who has it all figured out, I still struggle daily. I just found out for myself that love is so much easier to carry around than hate. Is it hard? Yes, but can you do it through Christ? Yes!

PRAYER:

Can you help us to understand the importance of forgiveness? When we are faced with a decision to forgive or not forgive, remind us your desire. Show us how to love one another. Remind us of the compassion we need from others when we ourselves have made a mistake. In Jesus name. – Amen.