Forgiveness!

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Forgiving others can be easy, but total forgiveness is harder. True forgiveness must be embedded deep in your heart. Perhaps the most important part of forgiving is that is freeing. When you hold onto a hurt, it only hurts you in the long run. The other person is oblivious to your hurt.

Perhaps the greatest story of forgiveness is a story about the Amish. In 2005 a man went to a one room Amish school. He lined up the girls and the boys. He sent the boys away, and then turning his gun to the girls shot them, execution style. Five sweet little girls were killed. He then turned the gun on himself. Later the Amish families went to the home of the killer and said that they forgave him. They were in deep mourning, but knew that in order to move on they must forgive as Jesus taught them in the Bible. Later the school was torn down to erase part of the tragedy from their view. This forgiveness is almost unbelievable, but this deeply religious sect lives by God's word to its fullest.

There is a man I know very well, who had a estranged relationship with his oldest son. He did not speak to his father for about five years. His father forgave him. Whatever the reason it was now on his son's shoulder. The man moved forward without anger. His son had an enormous school debt, which was about to stress him out. Due to the untimely death of their youngest son, the father and mother received a fairly large amount of unexpected money. Neither felt they should be given money because of this family tragedy. No amount of money could sooth the hurt of losing a son.They decided to help their other son by helping him reduce his school debt.

It was then the father, who thought he had forgiven, was challenged as to whether he had truly forgiven in his heart. The money came from life insurance, paid upon the death of his brother, with whom he also did not speak. The father prayed and sought counsel about whether he should help his son with the debt he, himself, created. The answer was finally revealed that, yes, if he had  truly forgiven, then this gift should be given, no strings attached  That put the binding seal on true forgiveness.

As hard at it is to forgive sometimes, it is the only way to find deep happiness in your own life.

Think about forgiving a person in your life who has affronted you. You will be amazed as to how freeing it is.

Samuel