Let's Talk Forgiveness.

I love how Jesus, in His teachings, got down to the nitty-gritty of life, that He even spoke about brothers disagreeing amongst themselves.
Matthew 18:15-20
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.''

This concept really bugged Peter, one of the realest Sanguines in the Bible. And he couldn't help but ask, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?"
So human of him.Because really, this forgiveness thing is easier said than lived out.
As many as seven times?” He continued to ask. 7 times was already enough, in fact more, in his thinking.
Then Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."

In other words, forgiveness is an attitude, a way of life. It's something you do everyday, even when your human nature pushes you to dwell in anger or seek revenge.

Jesus continued in His sermon, explaining the importance of forgiveness in Matthew 18:23-35,
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[a ] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[ b ] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
a. Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
b. Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii ; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.

Three things:
*God looks at our failure to forgive others as wickedness. He has forgiven our sins of the past, and He continues to do so, without placing conditions, unhesitantly. How much then, should we forgive others?
*If we are going to live a life that is pleasing to God, then we must forgive others.When we fail to forgive, we provoke the anger of God.
*God will deal with us the same way we deal with others if we fail to forgive.He will deliver us to the tormentors. Now, this does not mean hell, because hell is forever. Jesus paid the debt for us and we do not have to go to hell:)It means, UNTIL we forgive.

FORGIVENESS=HEALING
Many times, people who are seeking healing, really need to walk in forgiveness.
It may be physical healing, emotional healing or spiritual healing. All in all it's healing. And when you are healed, you are set Free!
As you forgive, you will reign in life as a king over circumstances, disappointments and sorrow!

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Anything means everything, big and small.. Even that which doesn't seem forgivable.
Anyone means everyone, including the thugs and muggers who get away with robbing us and we do not have the slightest idea who they are.
Bitterness has a root. Get to the bottom of it. Get to the root of it.
You see, unforgiveness blocks the pathway between our prayers and God's answers. It's one of the reasons why sometimes we feel as though God is not there.

FORGIVE ONESELF
We may dwell so much on forgiving others and forget to forgive ourselves..There are times we make mistakes, we could have avoided, or fail to do something that was required of us. Then it eats us up.
I had this problem for about one year in high school, I made really silly mistakes, was demoted from the school's leadership and I lost so many opportunities (or so I thought). I really thought that everyone was disappointed in me. My parents, my teachers and maybe even my fellow students. True to the fact, for a moment they were, but shortly after, they forgave me, forgot about it and life went on for them..I battled for an entire year, feeling so shy to express myself, often times opting to hide. I buried my head in my books just to try and shed off the terrible feeling. I'm no bookworm, that didn't work out. The more I 'studied', the more my grades went down because I wasn't at peace with myself, and that created more disappointment within me.
I cried a lot. In the privacy of my bed, at night, when the lights were off in the dormitory. I journaled about how much of a let-down I was. I really wasn't helping myself.
During my final year, I realised that I had battled long enough and that I actually needed to let go of so much pain and bitterness that I bore in my heart (including a bad childhood experience which I'm still not bold enough to share)
I thank God for a few good friends and teachers, who held my hand, walked with me, encouraged me and prayed with me. I was back on my feet:)
It's like somebody had pressed the play button of my life, and I could finally live again.

Forgive yourself dear. You'll finally get to unlock the chains.. And your life can move on.

YOU'VE GOT THE POWER..!
TO FORGIVE!
I know sometimes it feels like a really hard thing to do. You may say, "I was defiled as a child.. My mother abandoned me..my best friend betrayed me.. I can't forgive!" Yes you can.
You can forgive because God provided forgiveness at the cross for you. You are forgiven, not, because you deserve it but by grace. By the grace provided at the cross, you have the power necessary to forgive others.
Isaiah 53:4-6
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Only on the basis of the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross can we receive forgiveness from God.
Only on the basis of the grace of God offered to us by His death can we offer forgiveness to others.
Forgiveness is a decision.
As you stand on that decision, God in you will choose to love the person who has hurt/wronged you.

To be forgiven by God, is also as decision. If you choose to believe in His truth, then the blood of Jesus which was shed on the cross, will come through for you. You do not deserve it, but He loves you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus(Romans 8:1)

Psalms 51 is a wonderful prayer for forgiveness.

Psalms 139
23
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts.
24
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Sometimes we go about our daily lives thinking we are alright.We feel we do not harbour any bitterness or and grievous sin. This is a good prayer, to allow the Holy Spirit to make us aware of our misdeeds or burdens we may be bearing unwaringly.

I hope this has blessed you as much as it has blessed me.

From my heart,
Laura.