Forgiveness is deeply rooted in faith. In the Bible, it is highly emphasized. It is something that we want to receive but most of us hesitate to give. This is because our pride is injured but what does the bible say about giving mercy?
1. Forgiveness Is Important Among Believers
“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.” Colossians 3:13-14
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Believers are family and should treat one another with kindness and grace. We need to be willing to endure other believers’ quirks and oddities. When they fail, we need to be ready to forgive and help them heal. Believers are to, likewise, forgive one another without holding a grudge or bringing the matter up again to hurt the other person.
2. Lack of Forgiveness Feeds The Craving For Revenge
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23).
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We can give up the need to retaliate because the Lord is watching. He is a Judge who will not let the guilty go free. Joseph would not have become the man he was if he had spent thirteen years of hardship in Egypt plotting revenge.
The more we refuse to pardon those who wronged us, the more pain and anger we store in our bodies. Our hurt self-esteem craves revenge and we are satisfying the enemy and the more our physical bodies will suffer.
3. Choosing Forgiveness Can Be an Act of Empowerment
People who refuse to forgive, hurt themselves. Bitter people are no fun to be around. They can’t sleep.
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Letting off yields power in the life of the one forgiven. Just like how the forgiveness of God transformed you, let your act of mercy transform other people too. We must keep in mind that every lost person matters to God. When we endure and forgive rather than strike back and resent, we open the doorway of grace to someone else.
God will forgive us fully and absolutely when we repent and are faithful in forgiving others. It is the start of living a new life!