Forgiveness
Luke 17:3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Forgiveness. The act of deliberately releasing hurt and anger is something God calls for us to do, yet it can be so difficult to put into practice. It is especially hard if we have to forgive the same infraction more than once. Why is that? I think perhaps we feel that the person who asks forgiveness repeatedly is being insincere.
Yet, Jesus said we are to forgive. Repeatedly and genuinely. Why? Because unforgiveness is more damaging to us than to the person to whom it is directed. It is like a malignancy that eats away at us, and in its wake it can leave bitterness. But even worse is the distance it can create between us and God.
You might say, “I tried forgiving, but I don’t feel any differently.” Forgiving has nothing to do with the way we feel. Instead, it is an act of obedience. When we make the decision to live according to God’s will, rather than our own, then even difficult relationships become easier to navigate. It’s all about living kingdom lives now.
May we ask the Holy Spirit to direct our steps and soften our hearts so that “thy will be done” is the way we live our lives.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 