Forgiveness

If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift . . . and be reconciled to them. (Matthew 5:23–24)

Facebook reminds us of past posts with their “Memories” feature – they remind us of pictures, etc. we’ve put up in the past that usually bring a smile to our face. For those of use who serve Christ, we have the Holy Spirit that also has a memory feature, although many times it brings to mind things in our past that we have done wrong and need to confess and ask our Father for forgiveness.

• Some of these memories involve things we have done or said to others that need to be set straight.
• We also have our own internal memory feature that brings to mind how others have wronged us, let us down or caused us pain.

So we usually have these two internal lists – those we know we have wronged and those who have wronged us.

Going to someone we have wronged or slighted is one of the hardest things to do, as the enemy wants us to focus on the second list and why they haven’t come to us and made things right. Yet Christ commands us to keep our accounts short and reconcile with others when we know we have done wrong. It’s the only list we have any control over.

So what are we to do with that second list? We forgive and if possible forget and move forward. Sometimes we can’t forget but when it pops up again in our memories, it’s another chance to forgive them and try to turn off notifications for that memory so it stops coming up again in our mind.

Sounds easy but it isn’t. In those moments where we focus on how we were wronged, remember the power of the Cross. Christ, the perfect and sinless man, hung bruised and beaten for each of us.

What would our lives and world look like if God had never sent His Son to make things right and offer us forgiveness for our sins. But the good news is that He did! He took our punishment and our slate is wiped clean.

So, how then can we who have been pardoned for all of our wrongs, not offer that same forgiveness to others?