“Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him”
Luke 17:3 (KJV).
God’s forgiveness is unconditional. Forgiveness comes from a heart that does not demand anything for itself, a heart that is empty of self-seeking. In the opening scripture, Peter asked our Lord Jesus how many times he should forgive a person who has wronged him. Here our Lord Jesus is calling for an indefinite number. See, the Lord Jesus was your perfect example of forgiveness: as He was dying on the cross surrounded by people who had spit on Him, shoved a crown of thorns onto His brow, and hammered nails through His limbs, He hung there naked with flies and blood as a cloak while the world watched, yet He looked down and said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…” (Luke 23:34a). What manner of love is this? Now you have the same love, go forth and do likewise.
I learned forgiveness when I had to forgive someone so dear to me. I had to fast to release the person. I chose to forgive, not because the person deserved it, but because I chose to obey God and I do not want my prayers to be hindered. I had many opportunities to make decisions that could have damaged the person, but like David exercised tender forgiveness and sensitivity towards Saul in 1 Samuel 24, I trusted and believed in God who knew how to handle the matter better than I. And when I let go, the Lord gave me rest on every side. Be like Christ and forgive at once, regardless of who wronged you, whether they apologized or not. Know that when people wrong you, it is God they wronged, so cast your cares on God and He cares for you.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I ask that you search my heart and see if there are any wicked ways, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I choose to practice forgiveness daily in the name of the Lord Jesus.
WISDOM NUGGET
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 (NIV).