The heart of every human being was designed by God to contain His love and then to release His love to others. This is wonderful indeed, but we must also realize that there are other things we’ve chosen to hold in our hearts, and they don’t resemble God’s love. These are remnants of our old nature and life that existed outside of Christ. This stuff keeps us from moving in God’s love in a way that pleases Him. For many of us, resentment and the choice to withhold forgiveness from others are the remnants still abiding in our hearts. These two are the blockers that impede our spiritual progression. They disconnect us from God’s blessings and keep us stuck in patterns that give oxygen to people and situations that should have been released long ago.
Forgiveness is the practice of releasing anger, grudges, and resentment toward a person that has wronged us. It is to replace those harmful feelings with those of God’s love. Forgiving others is something we must do as God’s children, but this doesn’t mean that we should compromise the preservation of our safety, mental health, and well-being. Wisdom teaches us to forgive a person’s trespass against us in our hearts, but we must also be ever so mindful that forgiving them doesn’t mean that this person will change. Sometimes they do not, and our responsibility is to continue to pray that they will come to know Jesus Christ in the pardon of their sins. We must pray that they will be transformed by the love of God in Christ just as it has transformed us. In many circumstances, we must do this from a distance, and be wise about the level of entrance into our lives that we allow this person. In other words, we forgive, pray, and move in God’s peace, without the interruption of that peace.
So, forgiveness doesn’t supersede wisdom and discernment; it partners with them. We must have a forgiving heart, because forgiveness releases the weight of sin from our own hearts and minds. In this way, forgiving others is the greatest gift that we can give to ourselves, because it releases us from bondage. It preserves our fellowship with God and takes back the power over our lives that we wrongfully gave to another individual.
Forgiveness is one of those pillars of human behavior that is defined by God’s nature, and the willingness and humility to forgive others is required for His forgiveness of our sins. Jesus Christ teaches in Mark 11:25(NLT), “25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” This practice of forgiving others is our response to understanding the Will of God. We must have faith that He sees our desire to live right before Him and He will reward our obedience to the example of Jesus Christ.
Our blessed Lord never held a grudge against those who tried to drag his name through the mud, neither did he resent those that tried to destroy him. He taught the disciples in Luke 6:27-31, 37(NLT), “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you. 37 Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”
Jesus Christ practiced what he preached. After the brutality and suffering he endured on the cross at the hands of the very ones he came to save, he hung there, dying with his hands and feet nailed to the cross. As the soldiers below were gambling for his clothing, and among the mocking by others in the crowd, Jesus prayed in Luke 6:34(NLT), “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” This is the heart of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and as God’s children, it must be our heart as well. God commands us to be imitators of Christ, and He holds us responsible for forgiving those that have wronged us.
Romans 8:29(NLT) tells us, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Again, as sons and daughters of God, we must have the heart of Christ. Some of us have allowed the world to convince us that this isn’t necessary. Society tells us that we can hold grudges because that is how everyone else in the world behaves. This is not the truth. An unforgiving spirit is one of darkness, and it will short circuit our prayer lives and disconnect us from the blessings we desire most.
Unforgiveness, the refusal to forgive, takes up a tremendous amount of space in our hearts. It is a magnet for people, situations, and consequences in life that match it and keep us trapped in negativity. Our number one priority in this season should be to pray and seek the help and guidance of God to have the forgiving heart of Christ. As we do this daily, the indwelling Holy Spirit may remind us of situations and occurrences of the past where we were wronged but never forgave the person that wronged us. We need to take the time to reflect and confront those situations in our minds and hearts. We must surrender any darkness that is in our hearts because of them.
Pray, “Heavenly Father, I release this grudge in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. I no longer hold this person responsible for the wrong they committed against me, and I ask You to bless them according to Your divine Will and plan. I surrender everything to You, and I thank You for flooding my heart with Your love. I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over my life, and I thank You for cleansing me from all unrighteousness through Your precious Son. Please forgive me for not forgiving this person in the past and thank You for forgiving me for all my sins. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Remember, 1Peter 4:8(NLT) says, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” Choose God’s love every time. Embrace God’s forgiveness by forgiving others so that you get rid of all the things in your heart that have held you back, then cling to the love and forgiveness that propels you forward. When you have this kind of humility, faith, and obedience, you will prove your commitment to please God. You will go higher in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and be a conduit of God’s love, grace, and power. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Forgive and Receive Forgiveness” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.