There is nothing easier
than to write a paragraph about the benefits of learning to forgive other
people. There is nothing more difficult than to put what one wrote into real
life practice. Learning to truly forgive another person from the heart after
experiencing a vicious hurt from that individual can be an agonizing process.
While we can often see and feel our bitterness and resentment toward the other person dragging us down into a dungeon of unhappiness, there is something in us which refuses to believe forgiveness will lead to freedom from that prison. We deceive ourselves into believing that justice depends on us. We fall into the trap of thinking that to forgive is to humiliate ourselves, to become a doormat for other people. We feel forgiveness is only for those who are too weak to fight back. Deep down, we know these emotions are all lies, but for some reason we cannot give them up.
Jesus Christ encouraged his followers to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” It is a prescription for freedom, freedom to overcome the brutal hurts caused by others so that we can experience life in this broken world as God intends. If you’ve found yourself too often struggling to free yourself from the grasp of revenge, join us for one of our weekend worship services. It’s time to be free!
Worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm, Sunday: 9:00 am & 10:30 am.
