Way # 8
We forgive one another, covering an offense with love when wronged or hurt.
Memory Verse: So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13
All of us make mistakes. We lose our temper. We are selfish and want the best or biggest piece of cake. We become angry over petty issues. We judge more harshly than we want others to judge us. We break someone else's toy. No matter how hard any of us try, we will always, always make mistakes and eventually fall short of someone's expectations and disappoint those who love us.
That is why forgiveness is so very essential to the message of Christ—and to the messages we send within our families! As the ones who follow Jesus, we are those who love the best because we are those who give the most grace, because we have been given the most grace. As we love Christ, He leads us to give grace and forgive others.
In a world where culture gives us every kind of excuse to quit relationships, to hold a grudge, to become a victim of a difficult life, to gossip, to criticize, the practice of forgiveness stands out like a beacon of light for a defense of Christianity.
It is not logical to forgive someone who has offended us, but it is supernatural--it can only come from walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, forgiveness and humility was constantly on the heart of Jesus.
Peter wanted to quantify forgiveness, like we all desire to do! He was willing to be noble and forgive someone, but after all, he thought there surely must be a limit! Perhaps seven is the number of times we should forgive, Lord? He asked with a self-justifying heart.
No, Jesus said. 70 times 7--in other words, you must forgive, forgive, forgive, forgive, .........
Forgiving another person who has hurt us, damaged our reputation, who has continually been mean-spirited or abused us in some way is one of the most difficult practices to exercise. Each of us has been deeply hurt at one time or another—or will be in the future. It is natural to want to take revenge, or even to justify our own position and way of looking at an offense to justify lack of forgiveness.
Yet, it is the way of Jesus--the supernatural way of the Spirit in our lives to extend forgiveness and unconditional love.
"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," we read in Romans 8.
“He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf.” II Cor. 5:21
To truly understand Jesus, to worship Him from a grateful heart, requires that we learn to forgive and avoid taking offense when wronged. Bowing our knee and our will to actually forgive someone and expect nothing in return is not natural, but supernatural.
Forgiveness is the essence of God's heart. It compelled Him to die for us.
So, if we want to give our children a secret to living a life of love, we must teach them this Family Way. If we want our children to be godly leaders in this world, they must see self-sacrificing, humble forgiveness in and through our words, our lives and our actions.
One of the most important values I have come to understand from being a mama, is that when I take responsibility for the shaping of my children's hearts, to teach them truth, I have had to become more godly in order to teach them these life-changing truths.
And so, as we approach this week's way, let us understand that helping our children practice forgiveness over and over again will establish a pattern in their hearts to be remembered when they must make this choice as adults. Train up a child in the way he should go, forgiving 70 X 70 X70 and so on, and forgiveness will become part of his paradigm for life. If we all loved and forgave this way, the world would indeed become a place open to the heart and message of Christ.
May God give each of us grace to become stronger and stronger at forgiving and extending love more every day. I think I will perfect this when I am 75! But at least I am working on it!
