WHAT DOES FORGIVENESS MEAN?

WHAT DOES FORGIVENESS MEAN?

READING: Genesis 45

VERSE: “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling
me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
—Genesis 45:5

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE READINGS: Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:32

Does forgiveness mean acting as if nothing wrong ever happened? Does it mean overlooking an offence? Does it mean excusing the offender’s behaviour? No. No. No!

Your husband ripped a hole in your heart by breaking his vow of fidelity. In a fit of rage, your child’s fist smacked your cheek and his words stung your heart. A friend turned from you when you needed her most.

Denial and rationalization don’t heal hurts. They just bandage the wounds. We can’t erase a hurt by pretending we weren’t injured. That’s not what God did for us when he sent Jesus to pay for our wrongs by dying on the cross and then rising from the dead.

Forgiveness means squarely facing an offence — recognizing it for what it is and then choosing to cancel the debt. Healing begins when we recognize the hurt and determine to let it go — forever.

Stop and consider: Whom do you need to forgive? Does that sound too hard to do right now? Whom do you need to move toward forgiving? Start by recognizing the wound and owning it. It won’t go away by itself. But it will heal when you forgive, with God’s help.