How Important Is Forgiveness?
I learned something new last week when Pres. Bush commuted the sentence of two border patrol guards. If he had ‘pardoned’ them, they would have the entire event wiped off their record. It would have been as if they had never been at fault. He chose, rather, to ‘commute’ the guard’s sentences, meaning that the record still shows their offense, but the punishment they have already received is deemed to be sufficient. They will never be asked to pay more for their actions. Interesting …
In the Model Prayer, aka the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us the importance of being a forgiving person when He spoke this line:
“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors,” (Mat 6:12).
I use the Model Prayer almost every morning as a guide to my prayer time, and I typically say it this way … “Forgive me where I’ve offended You, Lord, the same way I forgive those who offend me.” And then I always add … “And help me, Father, to be abundantly forgiving and merciful, so I can receive an abundance of forgiveness and mercy from You.”
Jesus taught us to practice ‘pardon’ in our personal lives. He did not intend us to twist this into ‘commuting’ so that we can extract a little punishment then stop when we are satisfied that ‘they’ have paid for their actions.
How important is it for us to have a forgiving attitude?
Enormously important! Our own forgiveness hangs in the balance. It leaves me wondering how we will stand before Holy God, if we are holding the ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ in one hand and an unforgiving spirit in the other.
The truest and surest proof that your life has really been forgiven by Christ, is that you want to extend the forgiveness you have experienced to other people. True Christ followers are forgiving people … increasingly so as the love of Christ penetrates our heart more and more deeply and more and more genuinely.
Keeping it real,
I am very pleased to list this post in the following blog carnivals …
- GratiTuesday @ Heavenly Home Maker
- Thankful Thursday @ Grace Alone (guest hosted this week by Lori’s Reflections)
- What Are You Learning? @ Chats With And Old Lady
For more encouragement, visit some of the other blogs in these carnivals and maybe even participate by writing a post about something for which YOU are thankful.
This post has 16 comments
January 21st, 2009
Very true. We get hung up in the thought that we can’t forgive if we still feel the pain from the incident that needs forgiving. We can but it is difficult.
January 22nd, 2009
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving the comment. This was an absolutely wonderful post!
Blessings,
Jen
January 22nd, 2009
Thanks for sharing your very honest heart.
January 22nd, 2009
Thank you for the reminder on forgiveness. I second what Laurie said, we can forgive others but that does not mean we have to excuse what they do. We need to let God be God and have him leads us in our forgiveness. Have a wonderful day!
January 22nd, 2009
God is working on me in the area of forgiveness of one person in my life who has wounded me greatly. Thanks for posting on this…it helps. Happy TT!
January 22nd, 2009
I still am working on this area in my life! Thank you for sharing this post! God bless!
January 23rd, 2009
Very beautiful.
January 25th, 2009
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate you stopping by and taking part in my “sharing group”!
God Bless!
Gina
January 26th, 2009
Great post! I’d much rather be pardoned, wouldn’t you?
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate it!
January 26th, 2009
@ Laurie: You’re so right about where we get hung up. I think we allow our ‘feelings’ to have far too much say so in our lives.
@ Jen S.: Thanks for your encouragement!
@ Denise: Honesty is just a better way to live, isn’t it?
@ Lori: Amen to allowing God to be God in our lives!
@ Laurie Ann: May the Lord give you an extra measure of grace in helping you to come to a place of forgiveness. Did you know that God’s Word says … “It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2Th 1:6). Let Him take care of your troubler.
@ Serendipity: Forgiveness is definately a process!
@ Denise: Thank you!
@ gina: I enjoyed your share group. Thanks for your visit here.
@ Jerri: I DEFINITELY prefer pardon!
January 27th, 2009
That’s an interesting point. And I think it’s good for us to keep in mind because we can’t ever forget. We can stop remembering bad things for a while, but I think they can always be called to mind by something a person says or by other triggers.
So we can’t use forgetting as a basis for forgiving or we’d never forgive, would we?
January 27th, 2009
@ Ruth: I agree, we can’t use forgetting as a basis for forgiving. Forgiving is a choice and a process.
February 2nd, 2009
Thank God that forgiving doesn’t require forgetting. I practive forgiving just about everyday. I don’t want to forget the incest because it helps me to be the loving, caring, forgiving person that I am today. If I forgot, I might lose the ability to be compassionate with myself and with others.
Wow!!! I haven’t thought about forgiveness and forgetting in quite this way before. I may have to sit down and do some writing about this for myself. Thanks for the inspiration to do that writing. That is why I love bloggers and blogging. Have a glorious day.
February 3rd, 2009
Tammie,
I am really enjoying you posts (today’s and some oldies…) This one is a good followup for me on my thughts on getting to the bottom of forgiving others instead of trying to cover it up. I appreciate your honesty and thoughtfulness in your posts.
February 4th, 2009
@ Patricia: I’m with you … the modern mantra of ‘Forgive and Forget’ doesn’t really work. Who can forget a thing like incest? Forgiveness is not a one time choice. It is a process of choosing to forgive every time the memory comes back. It is a process of returning to Father God and asking Him to love us through the hurt … again. And it is a process of choosing a life of healing rather than a life of bitterness. I admire you, Patricia, for choosing to be loving, caring, forgiving, and compassionate. May the Lord give you an extra measure of grace to help you continue living a life filled with compassion and mercy and strength.
February 4th, 2009
@ Katie: I’m so glad some of my posts have been an encouragement to you. I’ve been surprised at how many people have mentioned to me that God has been teaching them about forgiveness lately. I believe forgiveness is tremendously important in the life of a believer. We need ALL the encouragement we can get to do it right and to do it constantly.