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Forgiveness

There are many topics that Christians talk about that are difficult to live out in normal life. Forgiveness is one of them. Why? Because we don’t feel like people deserve to be forgiven. We think to ourselves, “That person will never know how much they hurt me” or, “They would never forgive me so why should I forgive them?”

Think about someone you haven’t forgiven. What kinds of feelings well up inside? Bitterness? Anger? Sadness? Now think about how people typically act out these kinds of feelings. They do it through “rage, slander, and malice,” don’t they? The Apostle Paul, who wrote this letter to the early church in Ephesus, knew that bitterness, anger, and sadness could affect relationships within the church community.

When we don’t forgive people who hurt us, we let our bad feelings influence our actions. When we do forgive, we have the ability to be compassionate and kind. Think about how this plays out in your family or friendships. Have you noticed that you treat people better when you practice forgiveness and aren’t carrying around bitterness?

What steps do you need to take this week to forgive the people who are difficult to forgive? Do you need to contact a Christian counselor to help you? Whatever you need to do, forgiveness lets you live more like Jesus. And that’s what the Christian life is all about.