When you think about how many times God has forgiven you, it becomes easier to forgive others.
A spiritual mother and leader of mine used to answer me with, “people are people” when I would vent to her about how so and so hurt me, or what so and so did to me.
I used to think, “Wow, she doesn’t get it. Or she is just making excuses for them because she was codling them.” Now as God has given me this revelation of peace, His promise to avenge, and thankfully has increased one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit within me… PATIENCE, I can definitely understand and agree with simply saying, “People are people; Father forgive them and help me to forgive them. For they know not what they do.” I then leave them to God, and begin to pray for them, and pray for God to help me heal and forgive.
I am not naive nor inexperienced of being on the receiving end of betrayal, abuse, persecution, etcetera, to believe that all that is done to you, and the pain along with heartache that it may cause is so easily able to be forgiven, or shrugged off with a simple comment of, “People are people.” There are some valleys of pain which we walk through that require Jesus to mend our broken Spirits, but He is faithful and true to His promises, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;” Psalms 34:18-19.
God is not lax in reaping justice. He is watching, and commands Heaven’s Angels to record EVERYTHING that is being done on earth. He has promised to repay every man according to their deeds (Malachi 3:16-18). The blessing in forgiveness is the ever promise of Romans 3:23-25, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,”.
What a convicting and thought provoking scripture, that yes although he, she, they, have hurt you… YOU TOO at some point in your life have been a transgressor to someone else. It may not have been intentional, or overtly malicious, but yes dear friend you have caused pain to others in your life along this journey. Therefore just as you pray mercy for forgiveness upon your errors, upon your sin committed against God, that is the same mercy Jesus commands us to have against those who have hurt us.
Forgiving your enemies is releasing them from a debt they could never repay.
- Can you get the time that you’ve invested into them back? Nope 🚫
- Can you un-cry those tears that you’ve shed? Nope 🚫
- Can you pretend that the emotions of anxiety, confusion, embarrassment, and pain which you’ve experienced never existed? Nope 🚫
Oh but the POWER of forgiveness!!! Thank you Jesus! Learn to forgive and release the offense and the offender to God. God is in the business of judgment and payback. He is the God who never sleeps nor slumbers. What they have done, are doing, or plotting to do is never missed by God. Which is why Jesus tells us to forgive our brothers and sisters OVER AND OVER, because we too are needing forgiveness from God. How can we ask for forgiveness, yet are not willing to give forgiveness?
When you harbor anger and an unwillingness to forgive others, you’re only accomplishment is building walls on top of pain in your heart. As cliché as it may sound, “Let Go and Let God” is the greatest antidote.
Matthew 6:14-15
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Romans 12:19-21
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
♥️- Shared by May Williams 7/21/2023