Psalm 32

Forgiveness is great unless we are the ones that have to offer it. We feel like we are letting someone off the hook that has hurt or wronged us. After all, the world tells us that to get ahead we need to get revenge, not forgive. We resent the other person and, at times, seem to enjoy it. Saint Augustine is quoted as saying, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” We have believed the lie from Satan that if we offer forgiveness, we will still be filled with anger while the other person makes us look like a fool. We see the receiver of  forgiveness as the only one that benefits from it. We forfeit blessings when we don’t forgive. Maybe we need a more selfish attitude when it comes to forgiveness to finally start benefiting from it.

Forgiveness frees us from the burden of sin - "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14) When we forgive others, we get to experience God’s greatest gift to us, His forgiveness.

Forgiveness allows us to take on the character of God - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) We get to be like the Alpha and Omega, The Creator, the Prince of Peace, the Messiah when we forgive.

Forgiveness strengthens relationships. God shows how vital forgiveness is to relationships in his response to Peter in Matthew 18:21-22. Peter asked, "How many times shall I forgive my brother and sister who sins against me? Up to 7 times? Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not 7 times, but 77 times.'" Forgiveness is not a one-time event, but a way of life for the follower of Christ. It releases us from the burden of holding grudges.

Colossians 3:13 instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us. May we think of our own well-being as well as others as we experience restoration, healing, and a clean heart through the act of forgiveness.

By: Jason Neeley