~ GOD WILL HELP YOU TO FORGIVE
Forgiveness isn’t about setting those who offend us free; it is about setting us free. God empowers us through His grace to know how to forgive as an expression of our own grace toward others. God forgives and forgets, not because we deserve it, but because He is merciful.
Colossians 3:13 NIV says “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
God wants us to be like Him and to do as He would do when it comes to forgiveness. Jesus was unoffendable when He walked on this side of heaven.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and we mimic the way God forgave us our own sin, even when we are undeserving,
Matthew 6:14-15 AMP encourages us :
“For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”
Refusing to forgive empowers and prolongs our offense, whether real or imagined. But as we forgive, we are freed from the anger and energy it takes to hold hard feelings against another person.
We hold back forgiveness for all sorts of reasons, and when we do, the only person we hurt is ourselves.
We must be alert and recognize that the enemy of our souls, Satan would temp us stumble and sin by disobeying God and not forgive others. He would insert thoughts such as:
When she apologizes, I’ll forgive her.”
When he deserves it, I’ll forgive him.”
I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget.”
I have forgiven her, but I will never speak to her” thereby hold grudges. And so on and so forth.
As believers in Christ, we are further encouraged in Ephesians 4:30-32 AMP:
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].
Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.”
WE ARE NEVER AS CHRISTLIKE AS WHEN WE FORGIVE.
NOW LET US PRAY
Most gracious God, help us to humbly come to You and confess that forgiveness does not come naturally to us. Sometimes we can hold on to grudges for too long. We remember how people have hurt us.
We remember who has hurt us. And we are afraid that if we forgive them, they will get off too easy. We want to take justice into our own hands. But we know that Jesus provides another way-one of grace, love, and peace-in which we are not responsible for judging someone and can let go of past offenses. Lord, soften our hearts toward Jesus’ way. Holy Spirit show us how to forgive in the way we have been forgiven. Thank You for sending Your Son, so that we can always know we are forgiven for our sins. As we grow more aware of the way You have forgiven us, I pray that You would help us extend forgiveness to others. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray Amen 
.
Have a blessed day 
