Forgive, Be Forgiven

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

(Matthew 6:14)

Meditation

Holding a grudge against someone creates a prison of our own making, where we are the only prisoner.  I used to be an inmate in a prison made by my unforgiveness. The bars weren’t made of iron but they were strong enough to hold me captive. When someone trespassed against me, I would try to put them in my jail cell of hatred and resentment. I thought I was the jailer, but I was actually the prisoner. I didn’t realize it was me behind that prison door. I wanted to settle a score but I never got any satisfaction.

For one thing, the people who wronged me almost never apologized. As much as I justifiably deserved an admission of guilt and regret, my debtors rarely agreed. Quite often, they didn’t even behave as if they’d done anything requiring an apology. They couldn’t have cared less that their actions hurt me so deeply. Many are so unaware of their actions they don’t even know they’ve hurt me. That didn’t stop me from wanting some form of retribution. I thought by treating them as an enemy, it would hurt them…it did not. I was feeding them poison, but it was me that was dying inside.

I used to say things like, ‘You don’t know how much they hurt me!’ Jesus doesn’t question the reality of my wounds or my scars. He just knows my wounds are not going to be healed by my unforgiving, hate-filled heart. God’s forgiveness of me and my very salvation depend on me forgiving others. How can I expect forgiveness from God, if I can’t bring myself to forgive someone else? After all, I know I’ve deeply hurt other people I haven’t apologized to. I am no less guilty than anyone who has ever hurt me.

I locked myself in that tiny little cell of loathing and disgust until I met Christ. Only Jesus holds the key to unlock that prison door. It didn’t happen right away or automatically. It’s a process I had to go through. I finally realized I had wronged him far more than anyone had ever wronged me. His example of pardon will set me free from my sins against him. Now I realize that I am the one being set free when I forgive. The poison that filled my heart before has been replaced by the tenderness of Jesus. He forgave me, a wretched sinner when I least deserved it. I am now free of those prison gates. 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are love personified. There is no one who loves like you do. Until we know who you are, we know nothing of real love. You have shown how much you love us by your willingness to forgive our sins. We have no right to expect your forgiveness because we are so wicked. Help us to give up any thoughts of retribution or revenge against someone who hurts us. Give our hearts a willingness to forgive those who transgress us. You have told us unless we forgive others, you cannot forgive us. Teach us we are only hurting ourselves when we withhold forgiveness from someone who has sinned against us. Remind us that when we fail to forgive, we put ourselves in a prison of our own making. Your Son, Jesus, is the only one who can free us from that imprisonment. We put ourselves in that prison, but when we submit to the teachings of Jesus, we are set free. Help us to always be quick to forgive and even quicker to seek forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!