Forgive Them

Hey, beloved child of God,

Forgiveness is one of those things we all know we're supposed to do, right?

But when we’ve been hurt deeply, it can feel like one of the hardest things God asks of us.

And it’s not just hard because we’re emotional. It’s hard because something inside us wants fairness.

We want the other person to know how much it hurt, and want them to take it back, or at least be sorry.

But is that what Jesus told us to do?

Matthew 6: 14-15

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

The above verse might sound a little heavy, but Jesus didn’t say it to threaten us.

He said it to show us how connected forgiveness is to everything else in our relationship with God.

That verse tells us we don’t get to hold onto bitterness while asking God to wash away ours.

That’s not how grace works.

So, shall we just let go of the hurt caused us by others?

Jesus didn’t, so who are we to hold onto that, my friend?

Luke: 23:34

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Jesus, the Son of God, who knew no sin, had every right to hold onto hurt.

Yet, when He was hanging on the cross, in pain, surrounded by people who mocked Him, and knew He was innocent, He didn’t call down judgment.

Instead, He asked our heavenly Father to forgive them.

He forgave people who hadn’t asked for it, who didn’t even realize the full weight of what they were doing.

That’s the kind of love He showed, and that’s the kind of love He asks us to show too, my friend.

Paul has also reminded the early Chruch of this when he wrote this:

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The above verse always helps put things in perspective.

It tells us that we’re not forgiving people because they’ve made it right.

We’re forgiving because we’ve been forgiven by our heavenly father.

Still, forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting what happened, my friend.

The Bible never tells us to pretend it didn’t hurt.

What it tells us is to stop carrying it around and leaving it up to God.

Romans 12:19

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

God sees, He knows, and He isn’t asking us to ignore what was done.

He’s asking us to trust Him to handle it in a way that’s fair and just, something we may never be able to do fully on our own.

Think about Joseph in the book of Genesis.

His own brothers sold him into slavery. He spent years far from home, wrongly accused, and forgotten in prison.

And, when he finally had the power to get even, he didn’t.

Instead, he told them:

Genesis 50:20

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”

You see, Joseph didn’t excuse what they did.

But he recognized that God had used the pain to accomplish something bigger than the betrayal, and that gave him peace.

My friend, forgiveness doesn’t make what happened right.

But it does help your heart get right.

It frees you from a cycle of replaying the pain over and over again. It opens the door for healing.

And most importantly, it brings you closer to the One who forgave you when you couldn’t fix what you had broken either.

So, please examine your hearts and if you’re struggling to forgive someone, ask God for help.

Cry your heart out, be willing, and God will meet you there, my friend.

And, He will give you the strength to forgive others and yourself, too.

Praise God, my friend.

If you’ve any prayer requests, please feel free to let me know by replying to this email.