“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a multitude of sins."1 Peter 4:8
Betrayed by a friend once held dear, unfaithfulness of a spouse, or belittled by those who should have loved you … each of the scenarios is capable of causing one to turn off the spigot of forgiveness. Ironically, the hurt caused by others’ offenses blinds us to the harm we may have inflicted, whether intentional or not. The experience of needing to be forgiven is now a far-distant memory. Unfortunately, when the pain of offense is at the forefront of our minds, the strength to give what we are all in need of from time to time is lacking. Forgiveness sourced from the strength of our humanity is fickle at its best. However, the forgiveness empowered by God’s love enables us to forgive actions we label as “unforgivable.” If we give God our hurts, God’s forgiveness can flow through us to accomplish His will, independent of our ill feelings for the offender. When we open up to God regarding our hurt, His love emanates through us from the Holy Spirit. Despite the emotional injury’s influence upon our will, the God-powered forgiveness offered to the offender somehow also ministers to the offended.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15
The act of forgiveness is never about the offender as much as it is about the one who is offended. Our capacity to forgive determines the level of forgiveness we obtain when we assume the role of the offender. Matthew 6:15 is clear in its proclamation of how our wrongs can be forgiven by God; they are intricately tied to our willingness to overlook trespasses committed against us by others. Although some of us shun the thought of being the offender, the bible teaches we all have missed the mark and have not measured up to God’s standards. Perhaps, we may believe we have never offended anyone, but we have all offended God as a result of our sinful nature. If we choose not to forgive the wrongs of others, we automatically decline the forgiveness of God. The good news is that God never asks us to do anything that He does not first equip us to succeed. It’s through the power of God’s love that strengthens us to let go of hurt. As we let go, the healing of forgiveness flows within and through us. Forgiveness is a choice. The more we choose it, the more it becomes our “go-to” option in the face of offenses. The choice to forgive positions us to receive God’s forgiveness, along with all the benefits that come with it, such as inner peace and emotional healing.
“Heavenly Father, even in the midst of the heaviest hurts, help us to realize the burden of pain is lighten through the act of forgiveness”_ASA
Chronicles of ASA 