Today’s exhortation – forgiving others
Forgiving others may be one of the greatest challenges we may face and it takes God’s grace and help so if anyone is struggling to forgive, call on the enabling power of The Holy Spirit. He is also called the Helper and is the same Person who helped The Lord Jesus say “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” God promises to give The Holy Spirit to anyone who asks. It must be noted that Forgiveness does not depend on fairness, on whether we feel like it or not or who was in the right or wrong, God simply tells us repeatedly that we must forgive! This doesn’t excuse what people do but we must recognise that “hurt people, hurt people.” The person who offended us may also have been hurt and is reacting to their hurt.
When it comes to forgiveness, the word of God are non-negotiable and uncompromising. God covers all angles when it comes to forgiveness- we must forgive if we have anything against anyone, or if we know that someone is having a problem with us. Jesus said, ““if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24). Just to re-iterate, forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision, it’s an act of the will. Again if you’re finding it difficult, start by asking God to bring you to a place where you can choose to forgive, God will honour that. When the decision has been made, eventually the feelings will follow. To be cont..
Francis Hans-Jorie
