FORGIVENESS: the act of forgiving (to cease to feel resentment against)
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US:
When was the last time someone was not nice to you or did something to hurt you in some way? Can you remember that time?
We can all think of times that we have been hurt by someone else, and that is because we are all sinful and we are not perfect. Therefore we all make mistakes. Now, when was the last time you hurt someone? Be honest. We all are sinful and make mistakes so we all have hurt someone at some time, whether it be on purpose or by accident.
When you have been hurt, if the person who hurt you came up and said they were sorry, did that make it all better? Probably not, depending on how much it hurt you. But what did you choose to do after they said they were sorry? You had two options. One option is that you could continue to be hurt and even get mad at them. The other option would be to forgive them. I think the second is the best option. It is not always the easiest option, but it is the best. When we forgive someone, we can say that we forgive them, but we must also do so in our hearts. If we only “say” we forgive them, we can become bitter and remain hurt and angry. This will only hurt us even more in the long run.
Our best example of forgiveness is what God did for us. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth and die for all the wrongs we do. When we accept this very special gift that God gives us, He forgives us and does not see our sins any more. He shows us how to love others by forgiving them. We need to forgive others just like God forgives us. How awesome it is that God loves us so much that He forgives us and gives us such a great example to follow!
MORE TO THINK ABOUT:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,
just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32