Dan, being an active member of his church who worked zealously for GOD. One day, he was falsely accused by a church member but he didn’t try to prove himself in anyway. When the accusation began spreading around in the church, he went to the person who was the source of the matter and proved his part, but he spoke in a defensive and rude manner.
Dan felt relieved after telling the same. Later when he came back home, he shared the matter with one of his best friends, Eva. In their talk, Dan said, “I burst out because I almost reached my threshold. I could bear the pain no longer.”
Eva: “Who decided the threshold?”
Dan: “Me!”
Eva: “Yeah! There is no limit or threshold in forgiving a person! It’s the human nature in you that gave you a wrong idea that you can’t forgive a person beyond a certain limit! What did you gain from the talk you had with that person?”
Dan: “I just made my part clear. Even though I burst out, I apologized for that. It’s now his part whether to forgive or forget the incident! Now I can go to the presence of GOD without any guilt or burden in my heart!”
Eva: “Dan, it’s not like that. You just transferred your burden of hurts to his shoulders! How can you say that you can now stand in His presence with clean hands? You just killed him indirectly. You crushed his spirit when you burst out at him.”
Dan was speechless for a moment.
Eva continued: “Read Matthew 18:21-22”
Dan opened his Bible and read the portion, “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Eva: “It’s not just about forgiving 490 times. Instead it’s a symbolic expression for infinity. Have you forgiven him at least a 100 times in regard to this matter?”
Dan: “No, less than 50!”
Eva: “Dan, I have been trying to practice forgiveness in my life daily! It is not that you can’t forgive a person beyond a certain limit. When you are able to go beyond the limits that you have set yourself, you become a true Christian. There is no such threshold in forgiving someone. There is nothing called a point of no-return from bitterness. There is no open wound when we are able to forgive others like CHRIST did! As you sow, so shall you reap! If I cannot forgive and forget that a person wronged me, how can I be sure that God will forgive my sins and transgressions?”
Dan was convinced after talking to Eva. They both prayed over the phone for a while as well.
Forgiveness according to our terms is making our part clear so that we can worship GOD free from the burden we had. But when we respond quickly in anger, we only transfer our burden to the other person, making him lose his joy in the LORD and forcing him to move ahead with his burden along with the burden that we put on him.
Forgiveness is forgetting the hurt, the pain and all the bad experiences we had from a person and to extend the warmth of Christian love and care without hesitation and without even a tiny root of bitterness.
Forgiving and forgetting the wrongs of others affects us in our pursuit for holiness as well. When leading a holy life, we have to be sure to follow the path of forgiveness shown by Christ.
Christ’s forgiveness had no limits and His forgiveness set all mankind (those who believe that He died for them) free from their sins and transgressions. The practicality of divine forgiveness happens when we respond and react to situations around us, where the tone, the words, the attitude and the emphasis in our talk, all matters. Staying calm when people provoke us is a tedious task. The provoker will never lose their temper as their agenda is to agitate us and to make a scene.
Initiating the step to forgiveness is not an easy task. It needs humility, the attitude to accept the divine nature and a heart to live like Christ lived. And when someone asks for forgiveness (as they had a feeling that we have a grudge against them), be nice to them. Accept it, be reconciled and pray with them.
Bitterness is the greatest weapon that the enemy uses in our mind to destroy peace in families, relationships and in churches. Discern the tricks of the enemy, bear with one other in Christian love, take courage, and have a heart to forgive others.
We may say that the wounds of hurt won’t go away easily, that the pain comes back even after we forgive. But if we are able to forgive others like Christ forgave, He will wipe away the scars caused by the hurts. Rather He will cover it with His love so that we see nothing else.
Forgiveness is one of the greatest weapons by which we can thwart the strongholds of the enemy. Move on with holiness, finish the race ahead of us with humility and agape love.
GOD bless you!
