Have you ever been forgiven?

(Eph 4:32) Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Of all the things God might ask of us, forgiving one another is probably the most difficult. For many, granting forgiveness is not in our top ten things we like to do. Why is that? Why do we hold onto grudges, sometimes for years, even decades?

(Col 3:13) bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Maybe its a sense of entitlement, they hurt me, now I'm going to hurt them, or wish them to be likewise hurt. Revenge. I heard a fellow say once, “I'll get even with you if its the last thing I ever do!”. Well, he did. A few weeks after he got his “sweet” revenge, he died in a car accident. Prophetic huh?

A commentator heard recently on radio claimed Christians had as much if not more difficulty forgiving others. That surprised me. We are taught that forgiveness is a must if we want to enjoy fellowship with the Lord.

(Rom 12:19) Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

By not forgiving someone you become the owner of the hate, the anger, and its effects on your body, mind and spirit over time. When you forgive, all that nasty stuff gets released. It no longer eats you alive. It no longer is a tool of Satan. Forgiveness carves out a space for peace. Peace instead of anger, peace instead of hate.

(Mat 6:15) "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Sometimes we hurt others. Maybe it was on purpose, perhaps by accident. There are times when we don't even realize that we have hurt another. When we learn that we have, are we not sorrowful, regretting the incident? Don't we long to feel whole again? Isn't it great when someone forgives us? When we are released from our guilt, our shame our whole attitude takes on a whole new latitude. Forgiveness heals.

How many times would you say that the Lord, Our God has forgiven you over the past six months? How about the past six years? Ten years? Your lifetime? Imagine the sorry shape you would be in if Jesus was not in the business of forgiveness?

Through His death on the cross, we all have been forgiven. Maybe its your time to forgive? Have you ever been forgiven?

(Luk 17:4) "And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Its all written in the book. Have you read your Bible today?