Today’s 333 Devotional: “Why and How”

This Sunday morning, we’re looking how we are to live in forgiveness. So, I’d like to take time to look at the reasons why and how we need to forgive.

1. We need to forgive is because God has forgiven us.

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Since God has forgiven us, we cannot withhold forgiveness from others. It’s easier to forgive others when we feel forgiven by God, especially when we see how much God has forgiven us.

2. We need to forgive because we need to be forgiven.

In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus said, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)

Now there’s a scary thought. What we’re saying is “Lord, forgive me as much as I forgive others.” Do we really want God to forgive us as much as we forgive others? No way! We want God to forgive us a whole lot more.

3. We need to forgive because if we don’t, we’ll turn into the person we can’t forgive.

The most insidious part of unforgiveness is its infectious character. When we can’t forgive, it infects our hearts, and we morph into the very person we can’t forgive. It morphs us into the very person we don’t want to be.

So, how are we to forgive?

1. Release our right to get even. Even though we may have the right doesn’t mean it is right.
2. Respond to evil with good. Joseph after he forgave his brothers said, “What you meant for evil, God meant it for good, to save many people” (Gen. 50:20).
3. Repeat the forgiveness process as often as it takes. Forgiveness is a process, not a one-time act.
4. Rescue others with God’s forgiveness. When we forgive others, we rescue them, not only from themselves, but from their hurt, which caused them to treat us that way in the beginning.