Forgiveness

A few weeks ago the Sunday sermon was about forgiveness. Not just God's forgiveness of our sins but also our forgiveness of those who have sinned against us. Forgiveness sounds like such a simple thing to do but in reality it can be an impossible task. The inability to forgive can cause just as much pain and grief as the original offense itself. Especially when someone you love and trust has wounded or betrayed you. God forgives us of all our sins and He commands us to do the same for our fellow man. If God can forgive us our sins at the cost of His own son shouldn't we be able to forgive someone for much less? Below are a few scriptures declaring God's instructions for us: Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (NIV) Footnote; Or 70 x 7. Luke 6:37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (NIV) Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV) I will be the first to admit I am a sinner! I need and ask for God's forgiveness EVERY DAY. I also ask daily for God's help in forgiving those who have wronged me though sometimes that task has seemed nearly impossible to do. Think about it, when you hurt someone there is nothing more you want than to be forgiven by them. Why is it so easy to ask for forgiveness but so hard to grant it? Today, I pray the scriptures above help a very dear friend of mine who is hurting very badly. Her husband has committed the ultimate crime in a marriage. I hope she remembers the act of forgiveness isn't for him. In fact, forgiveness is a gift to herself so she can begin to heal and move on. You are in my thoughts and prayers today my dear. I know you are stunned with this recent news just as we all were when you shared it with us. I promise to stand by you through this very difficult time in your life and marriage. I hate that I can't physically be with you to give you a hug or just offer my shoulder to cry on. However, I will pray you are able to FORGIVE so that you can find trust, love and happiness once again in your current marriage or some day with someone new.