Forgiveness is for the Forgiver
Dear Champions,
The short excerpt is by Don Henley, and the scripture is Matthew 6:12, 14-15 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. . . . For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
If we keep carrying anger toward someone, it'll eat us up inside. Not forgiving will penetrate all aspects of our lives, like a cancer that is uncontrolled. It will affect relationships, health, and our work. It will impair our capacity to love even those who are completely uninvolved in the situation about which we are angry. It will stifle our own willingness to forgive ourselves.
Forgiveness is for the forgiver, not the one receiving the forgiveness. It doesn't really matter much even if the person being forgiven knows about being forgiven or not. We must forgive for we are forgiven.
I know a man who sees no need to forgive his daughter because she hasn't acknowledged her wrong doing. Sure, we all want an apology now and then. An apology is an affirmation of our injury and an acknowledgement that our feelings are important. But, what if the other party also feels injured and is also waiting for an apology? Both may wait their entire lives, living without the blessing of forgiveness.
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining
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