Forgiveness & 3 things we need to know

Forgiveness & 3 things we need to know

This is one of the hardest things for me to do. We live in a generation that teaches if someone hurts you, you hurt them back. And if they hurt you again, you hurt them worse! And don't forget to keep score. Because winning is the only thing that matters.

Have you ever found yourself playing this game? I know i have!

It's this attitude that keeps us in a pattern of hurt. Because we rehearse the story over and over in our mind, with every replay we are ripping the scab off the womb, making it worse. And it is giving the devil a greater foot hold in you life. He works best with hurt. It's the tool he uses to split church's, families and friends. And the only way to over come hurt is FORGIVENESS!

So there are 3 things we need to know about forgiveness. And it all starts with...

1. We must Love

It says in Colossians 3:12‭-‬14 out of the MSG. "So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."

I don't feel like I have to say much after that power house of a verse. But I will. This verse tackles alot of thing. But it shows that love is the most important. It is also one of the hardest things to do when someone hurts you. I don't know about you, but I have said i hated someone that hurt me. It what comes natural.  But we have to love them, that does not mean you have to hang out with them, trust them or be friends with them. But that does mean you don't talk bad about them or be unkind.

2. If we don't forgive, we remove our self from God's plan.

Matthew 6:15 says If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

If we don't forgive others, we cut ourselves away from God. I don't like the way that sounds. I know there were time in my life were I did not want to forgive someone or didn't realize that i had a grudge for someone. And it may take time to get there. But to know that if I don't forgive, I am separating myself from God's plan for me. I don't want that. I rather humble myself and  forgive, even if they are not sorry. Then to step out of God's plan.

3. Seventy Times Seven

Matthew 18:21-22 At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.

So I think I should set some structure for this verse. So in that day the Jewish community believed that they only had to forgive someone three times. So Peter was sincerely asking. he  double what the Jews thought. But he was still wrong.

This is where the score keeping thing comes in to play. We love to keep score, we love to count to three, and when they pass that line, we hold it over their heads. I have 3 brothers, so we don't play, let me rephrase that, complete a game without a fight or rage quits. Let's face it we don't like second place as humans. And that is what makes forgiveness so hard. We have to humble ourselves and be willing to take second place. So I challenge you to be willing to take second place.

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