Do you ever think that you have it all figured out? Life seems to be going smooth and then something happens to let you know how far you have yet to go to be like Jesus. Sometime ago, my wife and I had someone we trusted and helped them out financially and personally. My wife invested a lot of time with this person. Then all of a sudden, betrayal and disloyalty came out of no where like a car that ran a stop sign and broadsided her. Has this ever happened to you? You trust someone and then they turn on you. It hurts, but our response has to be to act like Jesus (even though our initial response might be quite different). Matthew 6:14-15says: " For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount; He said and He lived it. We are to be His disciples and follow Him and do likewise.
The Barnes New Testament Commentary explains: "This is constantly required in the Bible. Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy times seven times, Mt 18:22. By this is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and for ever to pardon the offence; we are to declare our willingness to forgive him. If he does not ask forgiveness, yet we are still to treat him kindly; not to harbour malice; not to speak ill of him; to be ready to do him good; and be always prepared to declare him forgiven when he asks it."
Today, make every effort to forgive quickly. Search your heart to see if there is past unforgiveness in your heart that needs to be dealt with. Unforgiveness is serious business and we must forgive. Remember the words of Jesus. If you find unforgiveness, repeat the following: "Lord, I forgive ________, they owe me nothing. I release them from what they did to me. I refuse to allow any root of bitterness in my heart. I walk in love.”
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