Choose to Forgive
Matthew 18:27
"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt."
Forgiveness is a wonderful gift. It can change the course of a person's life and change the depths of their heart. Those who have made Jesus the Lord of their life have tasted the vastness and the depths of the mercy of God. What we owed God because of our sin and our fallen nature was far over and above what we could pay Him back for, and yet, the mercy of God was extended to us because He loves us. The person who understands how much they have been greatly forgiven can then have the same mercy on others.
Oftentimes, it is those closest to us that can have the most damaging impact. People can deeply hurt us and the effects of someone else's actions, if we allow it, can be crippling. However, in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is a way through that pain to total freedom, and that is through forgiveness.
Forgiveness means to "let it go" to the point where the other person doesn't owe us anything. We understand that God has forgiven us, and His forgiveness has enabled us to extend the same mercy to others.
Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a decision that is made based on the Word of God. God's love is shed abroad in our hearts, so we are equipped to love like He does. (Romans 5:5).
Whenever an accustational thought comes to our mind about that person, we have the responsibility to cast down that thought with our words and say, "No, I have forgiven that person. They don't owe me anything. God's love is in my heart." When we do this, God is able to work in our hearts and minds and bring complete healing so that what was done to us no longer defines us. Instead, the healing power of God changes us and causes us to overcome what could have been crippling to be a totally free person!
This is why forgiveness is a wonderful gift: it can change the life of the person receiving mercy, and it releases us from living a damaged life.
Let's be doers of God's Word and be quick to extend mercy to others.
Remember, we love you, and we are praying for you.
Blessings,
Chloe