THE “GIFT” OF FORGIVENESS

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive
one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues 
put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members
of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let
the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach
and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms,
hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude
in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through him.”
(Colossians 3:12-17)

MEDITATION:
Webster defines “gift” as
    “something given to show friendship, affection, support, etc.”
Using this definition, it seems logical to give only to people we love,
and not to those who hurt or abuse us. Yet Scripture clearly tells us
to offer one of the greatest possible gifts (forgiveness) to those who
mistreat us.

To forgive means
    “to give up all claims to punish or exact a penalty for an offense.”
No strings or conditions can be attached, or else it ceases to be
a pardon. Ephesians expands on this by contrasting the gift of
salvation with works.
    “For it is by grace you have been saved, through
      faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the
      gift of God – not by works, so that no one can
      boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Neither salvation nor forgiveness can be earned; both must
be freely given. God granted us forgiveness, which we did
not deserve and could not earn. And in much the same way,
we are to release every offender from any form of penalty.

Unforgiveness is emotional bondage that consumes minds with
memories of offenses, distorts emotions with revenge, and fills
hearts with churning unrest. Its tentacles reach deep into the
soul, affecting both spiritual and physical health.

But the one who chooses to put on love and offer forgiveness is
ready to receive the peace of Christ. Let God’s Word help you
release hurt and anger into His caring hands, then watch as
vengeful thoughts are transformed into praise and gratitude
to the Lord.

Forgiveness benefits the offender and the offended. It communicates
to the offender that he/she is still acceptable. It frees the offended to
restore relationships, put aside the emotions that are eating away at
their goodness, and opens the door to receiving the blessings from
the Lord.

ACTION:
Thankfully, the gift of pardon is not something we have to
manufacture in ourselves. This present is wrapped in the
love of God and tied with the red ribbon of Christ’s sacrifice.
It is freely given to us by the Savior, and our job is simply to
pass it on to others.

Have you failed to forgive someone in your life?
Is it eating away your joy and happiness daily?
It doesn’t have to be like that.

When we think of how much we have offended God with our sins
and yet, He still loves and forgives us (when we confess our sins
and ask for his forgiveness). The knowledge of His forgiveness and
love for us should motivate us to forgive others in the same way.

We may say, “But, you don’t know what this person did to me!”
That could be true, but we know how our sin offends God, and
how our lack of forgiveness disregards how He has forgiven us.

Forgiveness builds spiritual character, but unforgiveness breeds
contempt and creates grudges which together are unhealthy for
us mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for mercifully forgiving me
even though I don’t deserve it. Thank You for sending
Your Son to take the punishment I deserve, so that I can
appear righteous before You (when I believe in Jesus and
surrender my will to Your will for my life). Help me to
remember Your forgiveness, and be willing to forgive
others who have offended me in some way. Remind me
that unforgiveness can be an indication of selfishness,
bitterness, anger, and a lack of the love You have shown
to me. Protect me from the evil one who wants to keep
stirring the coals of unforgiveness so he can damage my
fellowship with You.”

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