Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
(presented by Lisa Bishop)
Did you know forgiveness is referenced more than 125 times in the Bible? If forgiveness is so important to God, then why do we struggle with it? Why can it be so hard to bury the hatchet and pardon people, to forgive them for an error or offense? I think one reason is pride. We think too highly of ourselves and hold others to a higher standard than we are willing to hold ourselves to. We forget that just as others fall short, we all fall short of the glory of God with our mishaps.
Proverbs 16:18 says,
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
I’m sorry to say pride and my attitude of arrogance have blinded me at times and led me to believe I am better than others. With thoughts of “I cannot believe they did that,” leading to judgment and a feeling of superiority; when I know darn well that I am less than perfect, too.
A key to forgiveness is allowing other people to be imperfect and make mistakes. Make allowance for other people’s faults just as you would want them to do for you.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says,
…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Throw off every weight that hinders you. It’s like being in a boat and you just cannot seem to get anywhere until you intentionally pull up the anchor. Unforgiveness is an anchor and when left unchecked it is heavy and it hinders. Pride impedes our relationship with God and others.
Pride can cause you to hold people’s shortcomings over them. And in some ways, I think unforgiveness can be an attempt to control another person. We think if we withhold forgiveness we can inflict hurt and pain—and while that may be true—the one who really suffers is you.’
I once heard it said, “Our response to offense determines our future.” Make it your goal to be quick to forgive just as God in Christ Jesus has forgiven you. Don’t let your future be governed by the bondage of unforgiveness.
You are not alone on your journey of forgiveness. I know some of us have experienced pretty horrific things in life and I am always amazed when I hear stories of forgiveness from those who have experienced great loss at the hands of others. It’s only by the power of Jesus that we can fully forgive, and forgiveness is an act of faith.