THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS: WALKING IN FORGIVENESS
Many of us think that forgiving is hard. Many people do not forgive, but they give up. GOD did not ask us to give up; he asked us to forgive. When in frustration, when abandoned, when betrayed and many more hard times we give up faith in a person or GOD. But that is in fact not Christianity. In those hard times we have to forgive. Think about your own sins, who can say that they have never sinned? GOD has to forgive all of us; because we are sinful in nature, and we sin regardless of what we are told not to. GOD asks us, “why are you so bothered about forgiving your brothers and sisters for one single offense when I have forgiven you for much more?” 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desires me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? (Matthew 18: 32,33 KJV)
This story tells us that instead of giving the first servant some money, his lord simply forgave him. See, money is lower than forgiveness. Forgiveness is a powerful tool for a man of GOD that he can overcome anything by forgiveness. There is another instant that the bible speaks of. One of the great powers of forgiveness is that it can heal sickness. Never heard about it? Jesus had to heal a man, because they brought one to him. Jesus simply said “your sins are forgiven”, and the man was healed! We read “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2 KJV). If we read clearly Matthew 9:1-7, we understand that Jesus healed the sick by just forgiving.
Forgiveness will release the offenders from their sins. What will it bring to you? Don’t you know it from the beginning? Have you ever forgiven someone and got the feeling like you are GOD’s own child?
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of GOD (Matthew 5:9 KJV). What else will bring peace other than forgiving? I have had the feeling of being GOD’s own child, when I forgave unconditionally. Just no rules; I said, “this man has gave me too much troubles; but as GOD forgave me for my weird behaviors and offenses, I am going to forgive this man; he is also the beloved child of GOD.” And I forgave them. The happiness you get by forgiving cannot be explained, it has to be experienced.
As I write these words, I remember fellow humans who have done bad things for me; and I am going to go to them by myself and am going to tell them face to face, that I forgive them unconditionally, just like what Jesus did to me. And those people are going to smile, and they are going to praise Jesus. Amen.
