01/12/2025
How easy is it for you to forgive people? I admit, I have a list of some people that I really don't care for much and it is hard to forgive them for the things they said and did to me or particularly any family member. Most likely, they do not know the degree of pain they have caused, how distrusting I am of them, or how I even feel about them. Do you have people like that and you may feel uncomfortable around them? I've been reading a chapter in a book titled, "The Benefits of Forgiveness" and have been challenged. "In order to obtain God's forgiveness, one needs to repent and abandon all sin, even if one will sin again in the future. But not forgiving an offender is like praying, "Father, forgive all my sins, except my grudge against so-and-so." Full forgiveness simply cannot happen. It is not that God does not wish to forgive, it is that the person is not willing to give up a state of immorality...Jesus found a culture where human forgiveness was not considered a virtue, and hatred was sometimes encouraged. Jesus does not leave any doubt about the virtue of forgivesnes: "Lord, how may times shall I forgive?...Jesus replied, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy--seven times". (Of course meaning, an endless number of times). I've got to work on this with God's help. :)
