Dear Lord, I am moved by Your words which tell me to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, insult and slander, along with every form of malice. Being kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). This is a tall order to fill when someone has hurt me, disappointed me or taken advantage of me. I know that my life can be much simpler if I am not dragging around a grudge or hatred towards another. The process of forgiving begins with my making a decision to let go of my pain and forgive the one who caused it. In so doing, I have obeyed You and opened a door to Your grace that will help me let go and let God. Forgiveness does not come easily and requires effort, time, perseverance and prayer. While it is not easy to forgive, it is the right thing to do. As I forgive others, I honor You and give Your goodness a chance to permeate my heart.
I know that bitterness, anger and resentment are not a part of Your plan for my life … forgiveness is. I trust that as I pray for a person whose hurt me, true forgiveness will rise up in my heart. In dealing with forgiveness, I will always try to remember that if I want Your forgiveness, I must be willing to forgive. I gain strength from my decisions to forgive as I response to Your help and encouragement. Something inside of me seems to be constantly reminding me that it is wrong to repay evil with evil … I must pursue peace with others instead … even if I don’t feel like it. Through the gift of patience, I can overlook the offenses of others who hurt me. In the prayer You taught me, You said “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” You also remind me to “be merciful as your Father is merciful.” In my times of greatest struggle, the Holy Spirit calls to mind the Scripture that says “let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” When it’s put that way, who am I to throw rocks at anyone?
As I am filled with Your love each day, hatred and bitterness will be blotted from my heart and mind. Because You have forgiven the offenses in my past … I must learn to do the same. Going forward, I want to eliminate the resentment and grudges that hinder my life and scrambles my thinking. I’ve come to realize that by not forgiving and not letting go of wrongs done to me, I’m only hurting myself. For in reality, I am merely carrying around my pain and bypassing the comfort that You offer. You left me a perfect example of selflessness when You suffered pain and death for Your enemies … is less expected of me? Most Gracious Lord, help me develop a forgiving heart. Keep me focused on the truth that I must forgive others if I expect to be forgiven. Going forward, I promise to strive to make forgiveness an integral part of my life because I know it’s the right thing to do. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Luke 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is also merciful.