Day 12 – Love Is Forgiving

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV). The ultimate test of love is forgiveness. When someone that a person loves hurts him, the response is the true record of that love; if there is true love here, the person will not hold a grudge, become resentful, or fill the heart with bitterness. None of these responses connect with true love. It blocks that emotion. Love forgives continually and it forgives comprehensively. Forgiveness wipes clean the slate of offense; hence it is freeing for everyone. Forgiveness was the heartbeat of Jesus. Some of His last words requested forgiveness from God for the ignorant acts of His offenders. Christ’s greatest act of love was the forgiveness He extended by His voluntary death on the cross. Struggle or have struggled, truly loving our neighbor, because our neighbor takes on many forms. Loving your neighbor means forgiving. Forgiveness is a necessary attribute of the Lord. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV).

The Bible says He planned it for us from the foundation of the world. Jesus frequently spoke forgiveness over others that resulted in the healing of their bodies. Forgiveness is freely given to us and to love your neighbor as yourself you’ll pass the forgiveness on. Jesus highlighted this in His story in Matthew 18 when Peter asks how many times he is to forgive. He tells the story of a king who forgave an enormous debt to one of his servants. This servant failed to pass the forgiveness on. He demanded payment of a small debt from his neighbor. When the king heard of it, he had his servant remanded for his debt, revoking the debt cancellation. Jesus’ story tells us that love always forgives. We all need forgiveness, so loving your neighbor is to forgive them as you have been. Jesus was the epitome of love and forgiveness; He owns the trademark. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” John 15:12-13 (NKJV).

Sometimes one of the most difficult things to do in life is to smile. We are surrounded by a world filled with hate, bitterness, jealousy, envy, and violence, and we are to smile about it? Forgiveness is the fuel for living a life free from the clutter of cutting words and unjust acts. A life without forgiveness is a lonely life locked up in the solitary confinement of sin. Forgiveness flows when you have been authentically and thoroughly forgiven. Half-hearted forgiveness is the destiny of those who have not tasted the tender touch of forgiveness from their heavenly Father. Unless the forgiveness of God has graced your heart and soul, your capacity for forgiveness will be foreign and fruitless. They are enamored with God’s love for them and others. When you have been forgiven much, you love much. Your capacity to love is directly tied to your willingness to receive Christ’s forgiveness. The job description of Christians is to love with forgiveness because we have been forgiven. Think about the depth and breadth of your forgiveness. Ignorant acts, they are forgiven; drunkenness, it’s forgiven; lust, it’s forgiven; immorality, it’s forgiven; hate, it’s forgiven; ignoring God, it’s forgiven; unbelief, it’s forgiven. Love forgives because it has been forgiven. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” Colossians 3:12-13 (NKJV).

Many have held grudges, as well as held anger inside of us. We may have even plotted revenge at one point or another in life. All of those things exude negativity and create ongoing conflict. Forgive. Let it go. Daily, you must get on your knees in prayer and, in doing so, you must not only ask that, so you’re forgiven for the things you’ve done, but you pledge to forgive those who have done harm to yourself. Your life is not trouble free by any means, so that your soul is at peace. Love looks for excuses to eliminate hard feelings, as it replaces resentment and bitterness with love and forgiveness. Love by forgiving your family member who may not even know they hurt your heart. Love by forgiving your friend who volitionally violated your confidence. Love by forgiving your father and mother who are preoccupied parents. Love by forgiving your child who is ungrateful and selfish. Love by forgiving yourself for your stupid decisions. Forgiveness forgets the past, engages in the present, and hopes in the future. Extend forgiveness indiscriminately and receive it graciously. Delete any record of wrongs from the hard drive of your heart. Call, write, or initiate a freeing conversation of forgiveness. Reject the temptation for indignation and humbly receive God’s grace instead. Love liberally by regularly relying on forgiveness. Love forgives. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV).