Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

In the August 1996 issue of Chatelaine there was an article on forgiveness. The article suggested that in order to forgive, you need to approach the person who hurt you and ask him/her to acknowledge the pain that they caused. Then that person needs to ask your forgiveness. If the person fails to acknowledge that their actions hurt you, then "it is hard to forgive".

As Christians, we are required by God to forgive (Matthew 18:34-35) but instead of taking the pain to the person who caused it, we should take it to the One who can heal it. Forgiveness is not for the person who hurt us, it is for ourselves. "Forgiveness is dealing with your pain and leaving the other person to God." (N. Anderson, Steps to Freedom in Christ)

Prayer: Lord, I come before You in prayer to tell You that I have chosen to forgive this person. You and I both know why and how I hurt. O God, bring the pain to the surface so You can deal with it. In Your rmercy, heal my pain and hurt, and let me rest in Your love. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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