Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the most beautiful things that you could give someone. However, many times we find ourselves in the "but you don't understand what they have done" conversation more often than the "I simply forgive them" conversation. Instead of counting their wrongs, when you forgive them you are able to show them JESUS. In saying "I forgive you though I have every reason not to" we give them a very small taste of what Jesus has done for us even though we didn't deserve it. "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets." Daniel 9:8-10. God gave up His Son, Jesus, so that we can spend an eternity with Him. He says "I forgive you and all I want in return is your LOVE". Think about it. He has every reason not to forgive us, love us or even listen to us, BUT HE DOES without wanting anything in return but LOVE. Often times we say "yeah, I'll forgive that person IF / WHEN..." or "I'll forgive them one last time but after that I'm done forgiving them". God tells us "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.'" Matthew 18:21-22. If you do the math that is 490 times. That is a lot of "I forgive you" conversations. Think about the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 he takes his fathers money and wastes it only to find himself running back home. The most beautiful part of this story is that instead of his father saying "You stupid boy, I told you so. Figure it out." He had open arms. He forgave his son even though he had every reason not to. The prodigal son is us. The father is God. Now do you see the beauty in that story? If God can forgive us with open arms, why can't we do that to others? When I speak of forgiveness I don't mean say "I forgive you" and then when you're mad at them bring up the very thing that you said that you forgave them for. No! God says "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12. It is as if the sin had never existed in you, and that is exactly how we need to forgive others. Let's show people a minuscule representation of how our God forgave us. Let's wear forgiveness on our sleeves. 

Forgiveness - Matthew West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lu5udXEZI

Luke 15:32
"It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found."