Forgiveness is Good For The Soul

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

When I was a kid, I remember fighting with my brother. Maybe it was because he ate all the cereal I liked, or he had control of the TV and was watching something I didn’t want to watch. Whatever it was, it caused a ruckus. I would get so angry at him because he had wronged me and the fight was on. It didn’t take long for our parents to intervene with due punishment. The worst part was we had to say we were sorry. And say it like we meant it. You know what I'm talking about right? It was the worst because at the time neither of us meant it and we didn’t want to say it.

Forgiveness is hard even as adults. It goes against our sinful nature. We like to be right and certainly don’t like to be wronged. But the Bible gives us numerous accounts of instruction that we are to be eager to forgive. Here are a few reasons why we should forgive.

First, if we have been forgiven by God we are transformed into forgiving people. It is mandatory for those who have been forgiven by God. Jesus even teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” To approach the Lord and ask for forgiveness while refusing to forgive others is the height of hypocrisy. Refusing to forgive others is an insult to the Lord who has forgiven us of much more wrong than anyone has ever caused us.
 
Forgiveness is a way others see the mercy of God. When we forgive we share God’s mercy with others. When we forgive we show kindness, mercy, love, and humility that Jesus has shown us in more abundant ways. When all we can talk about is how we were wronged or betrayed, we are ineffective at pointing others to Jesus, and not just the one who wronged us. Failing to forgive makes us self-focused instead of Jesus-focused and steals our love, joy, and peace.

Lastly, forgiveness is liberating for us. To forgive someone is not letting someone off the hook. It is an eager readiness to extend mercy to those who have wronged us. When we forgive others despite their repentance or not, we free ourselves from the bondage of bitterness. When we fail to forgive others, we are voluntarily subjecting ourselves to the bondage of our emotions. It prevents us from experiencing the joy that is just outside our anger. It prevents us from true worship of God and fellowship with others. Nobody likes to be around a bitter and unforgiving person. When we forgive, we are freeing ourselves from the bondage that someone else’s wrong has created for us.

So the next time someone eats the last of the Fruity Pebbles, steals the remote, or even seriously wrongs you, be eager to forgive. It is hard to do. But the benefits are worth it.