Everybody talks about how important it is to forgive one another, but do we really believe it, especially if we’ve been hurt in a big way? Some say forgiveness is a possibility, others say “no”, it’s just a pious platitude that idealistic people wish for but isn’t practical. Most would probably say forgiveness depends on the severity of the hurt the individual has experienced.
How about you? How do you feel about forgiving other people? More importantly, are you able to forgive? If you’re like most of us, you probably would like to be able to forgive a whole lot more than you do.
But it is hard to forgive. The feelings are so strong. Feelings of resentment, bitterness and even downright hate can overwhelm us.
And then we go to church on Sunday and pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Those words stop us in our unforgiving tracks. Jesus says that we can’t expect God to forgive us if we can’t forgive other people. Forgiveness is that important!
If you are starting to feel a little uncomfortable, maybe even some resentment – that’s okay. We’re all beginners when it comes to learning how to forgive. But no matter how hard it is, forgiving is the wise way of the Christian life.
Someone once said, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” We all need help in this area of our lives. Let’s begin to walk the path of forgiveness together.
Saturday evening service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am
Hawaii Lutheran Church (WELS)
- Community Lutheran Church
- Honolulu, HI
- Community Lutheran Church holds protestant chapel services in Honolulu, Hawaii near Pearl Harbor, HI. We are next to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam Air Force Base, and Fort Shafter Hawaii. Look for us directly behind the Salt Lake, Hawaii, Target.