Forgiveness

“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
– Mark 11:25

Forgiveness. When someone wrongs or hurts us, it’s human nature to want to get back at that person – an eye for an eye. Sure, we want to see that person pay for their transgressions, but as Christians we are held to a higher standard. It is God who will ultimately exact judgement on the evil and wicked. As difficult as it can be, we are to forgive those who wrong us.

If we are too stone-hearted to forgive others, how can we expect God to for us our sins? Christians are the salt of the earth, the light of the earth. Forgiving someone isn’t easy, sometime we need to pray to God to help us forgive. It is His grace that will allow us to move on from having a grudge with someone to finally being able to praying for that person. With so much darkness and evil in the world, we are called to be more than simply lukewarm Christians. Our time on this planet is just a flicker compared to our eternal life with the Father in heaven.

Instead of hold a grudge against others, pray for that person; forgive that person and leave it all in God’s hands. Harboring a grudge will fester into things much worse, such as pride; thinking that you are better than others and false judgements of others. That kind of thinking could lead to even darker alleys.

Ask God to soften our hearts of stone, and allow us to forgive others. Focus on heavenly desires rather than earthly desires. We are all sinners and need of redemption. Let us not refuse those who need forgiveness, but pray God will’s be done.