Let’s say we have made a list of all the persons we have harmed and became willing to make amends with them all. Wouldn’t that be amazing. Forgiven to forgive. That’s exactly what that means. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you have been forgiven by God’s amazing grace, so what kind of person would you be not to forgive others. This is an act of reconciliation. You will feel much lighter figuratively speaking.
While listing all the people we have harmed may trigger a natural defensiveness. With each name we write down, another mental list may begin to form-a list of the wrongs that have been done to us. How can we deal with the resentment we hold toward others so we can move toward making amends?
Jesus told this story: “A king decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars” (Matthew 18:23-24). The man begged for forgiveness because he couldn’t pay. “The king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment” (Matthew 18:27-28). This was reported to the king. “Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters” (Matthew 18:32-35).
When we look at all that God has forgiven us, it makes sense to choose to forgive others. This also frees us from the torture of festering resentment. We can’t change what others have done to us, but we can write off their debts and become willing to make amends.
I encourage you to forgive those who have tresspassed against you, you will be free. May you all experience the presence of the Lord in your life to the fullest. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless you.
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