5 Truths About ForgivenessShembull

Forgiveness is a Sacrifice

“God, why haven’t you struck that person with lightning yet?” Has that thought ever run through your mind? We all have thoughts like this at times, but we need to keep in mind the origin of those thoughts. Vengeful thinking starts in the old sin nature, and it takes root in our hearts if we allow it.

In order to truly forgive someone, God expects us to follow the example of Jesus and make a sacrifice. We obviously don’t have to make the same sacrifice Jesus made for us, but we do have to be willing to let go of the reigns of justice—our right to get revenge.

When someone wrongfully hurts us, they do owe us. I’m not denying that. Real forgiveness is not pretending like someone never hurt us at all. Instead, it’s choosing to release them from that debt even though they don’t deserve it. It means choosing to let go of our right to get even.

I understand that this doesn’t come naturally to us. We want to feel like life is fair. However, the more we learn to trust God and His character, the easier it becomes. We need to keep in mind that God has the better perspective. The Bible says He can see the true intentions and actions of those who have hurt us, and that He is just. The more we believe God’s words about Himself, the easier it is to put the outcome into His hands.

One practical way to do this is to pray for the person who wronged you. Pray for their good, not their evil. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He prayed for the very people who were killing Him, saying, “Father, forgive them.” He is our perfect example.