F is for Forgiveness

            As I was vacuuming the living room, I wished I could vacuum out the resentful thoughts popping into my head. I had forgiven that person. We had talked out our differences. I had taken it to the Lord and wanted to be done with that situation. And yet, the thoughts kept coming back. As I was vacuuming I said to myself and to the Lord, I forgive that person, again. The next week the resentful thought popped in my head . . . again. I prayed and asked God to help me forgive them  . . . again. It was during this time I realized forgiveness is sometimes a process and not just a one-time event. The Bible says when we take our thoughts captive, meaning stop them, we can demolish arguments. That is what I was doing in forgiving over and over. I was taking the negative thoughts captive, choosing to forgive again, and demolishing an argument, that did not need to take place.

            The followers of Jesus had a hard time with forgiveness also. They even asked Jesus how many times they should forgive someone. Jesus, who came to forgive everyone, answered,

“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.”

            Jesus did not mean after 490 times we could stop forgiving. No, he meant that we were to keep on forgiving people, and sometimes it might be a process of forgiving before we could be at peace having truly released them.

            We are so thankful that the Lord has forgiven us many times. We are more like Him when we forgive others, especially when we are wrongly accused. Forgiveness, whether the first time or the 50th time, is good for our soul. We grow closer to the Lord when we forgive others.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you.”      Ephesians 4:32

                                              Who do you need to forgive today?

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