Confession time: I’ve struggled with unforgiveness. ⁠A few times in my life actually. But it’s not just a recommendation from God. ⁠It’s a command. ⁠

Forgiveness is one of those commands that we often think we’re above or don’t need to act on. Usually it’s because we feel we have a right to be hurt and often we do. Sometimes it’s because forgiveness seems to impossible.
Friend, whatever your reason for needing to forgive is today I AM SORRY that you were wronged. I am sorry for the pain you are going through or the betrayal you may feel. Pain, betrayal, mistrust are all awful feelings.

To need to forgive is a hard place to be.

Friend, Know that God sees your heart. He does not disregard your pain. He KNOWS what it’s like to be betrayed and hurt and wronged.
Know that even still God calls us to forgive. It’s actually a VERY firm command.

• Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
• Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
• Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
• Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
• Luke 17:3-4 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
• Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

He calls us to forgive NOT because the person deserves forgiveness, but simply because He commands it. Why can He command it? Because He forgave everyone who doesn’t deserve forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In times when I struggled to forgive, I have had to remind myself of this: I am a sinner who needed forgiveness. What if God had held His bitter heart against me like I am doing towards this person?

Why do I have ANY right to hold unforgiveness if God didn’t?

It can be some stinging words. but, friend, God doesn’t call us to forgive out of spite or to make life harder for us. In fact, forgiveness is HEALING. It is essential to move forward well. God isn’t burdening you with a command of forgiveness. He wants to FREE you from the weight of unforgiveness and the affects of it.

Pray for forgiveness.
It isn’t easy.
Often it seems impossible.
God knows.
God sees.
God cares.
God calls us to forgive.