Forgive...and Sing the Song of the Soul Set Free
Is there an offense you can’t forget? Write down that hurt, bring that paper to the cross, and etch FORGIVEN across it. Ask your Lord to fill the holes in your heart and help you press on.
The word forgiveness draws various reactions. If we’re talking about God’s forgiveness of us, it can be a soothing topic resulting in gratitude and peace. If we need to seek forgiveness from someone we’ve wronged, we might wrangle a bit with our pride before we finally approach that person in humility—but our resulting cleared conscience makes it well worth the effort.
Usually, however, the most uncomfortable kind of forgiveness is what we must extend to someone who has wronged us or hurt us deeply. The Bible says a lot about this kind of forgiveness—perhaps because our emotions arm wrestle with it and other lingering memories skirmish with it. It’s really hard to do.
Find out what God’s Word says about forgiveness, how essential it is to understand, and how to actually do it...if we want to grow in our walk with God.
Is there an offense you can’t forget? Write down that hurt, bring that paper to the cross, and etch FORGIVEN across it. Ask your Lord to fill the holes in your heart and help you press on.
For nearly 25 years, Charlie has been the “voice” of Pastor Chuck Swindoll in the Arabic language, offering the grace of Christ to anyone who will receive it. And despite geopolitical unrest, he and the IFLM Arabic team will continue doing so according to the strength supplied by the grace of Christ.
Christmas is right around the corner. How about filling a cup full of kindness? An authentic extension of love to someone who doesn’t deserve it. Now there’s a new idea for a Christmas gift that would never be forgotten.
Bad memories usually revolve around two kinds of experiences: those involving a traumatic or painful incident, and those involving people who have hurt us in some way. Is there a way to forget painful memories?
I believe one reason we fail to exercise grace in our relationships is because we don’t view people as they actually are. Instead, we look at them through the lens of how they hurt us, or our prejudices, or past experiences.
Two millennia ago, God answered the anguished cry of humanity by making “the problem of evil” His own. God Almighty became Immanuel, “God with us.” He lived as we live, suffered as we suffer, died as we die, yet without sin.
Walking closely with the Lord means we must come to terms with forgiving others. Yes, must. We can’t avoid or deny the fact that relationships often bring hurt and the need to forgive.
Perhaps the waters of guilt have washed over you, and you feel like you are sinking in sorrow and regret. What could be preventing you from moving beyond your past and feeling forgiven?
Our teacher is the world’s leading expert on forgiveness. No one has more experience in forgiving than Him. His exams can be tough when we’re asked to put into practice what we’ve learned.
Family relationships are bound to strain at times and in many cases fracture, leading to feelings of failure and guilt, but there is a way to repair and rebuild damaged relationships—whether or not we’ve chosen them.