*Luke 23:34*
With Easter approaching, I have been thinking about the topic of forgiveness. This is something many people struggle with. I learned a long time ago that people will let you down, people change, and people will hurt you. It is just a part of life. However, there is hope in the fact that God is always the same (Hebrews 13:8) and is always there for us. One of the best things we can do in life is to forgive and move on.
I have always been taught that if you say you are going to do something you do it, but others do not always live this way. I am the type of person who will give 100% to the people and things I care about, and when, you do not receive that kind of commitment in return, it can be tough. I have learned you have to move on. I have seen how dwelling on that hurt and disappointment can affect someone’s life. If you are continuing to live in that past, you are missing out on the good things in store for your present and future. You can develop a dangerous negative and bitter attitude that keeps you from living your life all together. The truth is every time you sit and think about a wrong that was done to you, you are letting that person hurt you again. So much peace can be found by simply forgiving and moving on. That might mean cutting someone from your life, but you do not have to harbor hatred towards them; that hurts you not them.
When I think about a struggle for forgiveness, I think about Jesus. He was the only man to ever be without sin; he was completely innocent, yet he suffered the most horrifying beating and humiliation imaginable. Still on the cross he cried out, “Forgive them father for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). If Jesus can forgive those who tortured and mocked him, then why cannot we forgive others for their transgressions, that seem like nothing compared to what he went through.
Also, if you are someone who thinks that they cannot be forgiven, remember that Jesus has already payed for ALL our sins. All, you have to do is accept Christ in your heart and ask for that forgiveness. I mess up every day; I do something stupid that is less than what God expects from me. Luckily, the bible tells us that God knows everything about us; he knows we are and will be sinners, and that’s why he sent Jesus. Just remember forgiveness is there; the book of Romans says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (8:1). As God forgives us, we should make the effort to forgive each other, and in the long-run, we will be happier looking to the future instead of dwelling in our past.
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