Forgiveness... A Selfless Act

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3 NIV


“I ain’t you friend!”
“Huh?”
“I ain't you friend!”

I could barely keep the smile off my face as I looked down into the angry face of my cute little two-year old goddaughter Shay-Shay, (Lashay) who was quite mad with me and not afraid to show it. The fact that we were in church and she was sitting on my lap at the time did not impress her one bit. The sweetest thing however was that two minutes later she again earnestly looked up in my face and this time she said, “I is you friend.” Just like that I was forgiven.

Little children make the act of forgiveness seem so easy, almost effortless. However forgiveness can be one of the most difficult things to do, especially when someone really hurts you. During the course of your lifetime you will certainly be hurt and offended by something someone said or did to you. Your parents, siblings, friends, teachers... whether knowingly or unknowingly will hurt you. You’re human so you’ll undoubtedly be angry but how long do you stay angry? How long do you hold a grudge?

I find that many times ladies in particular are experts at holding grudges (I speak from the voice of experience.) Someone wounds you and you hold the pain to your heart refusing to let it go. Every time you see the person you get angrier and angrier because you keep remembering what they did to you or said about you. Unfortunately, holding the grudge causes you more pain than the original act itself because the fact that you’re holding on to it gives the person the power to hurt you over and over again.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us…

Sometimes you may feel that you have a valid reason not to forgive. It may have been a horrendous act that was committed against you. However, you don’t have to be best friends with the person who hurts you or even like them. But, you have to let go of your resentment towards them and the only way to do this is to forgive.

As difficult as it may be to do, the terms of forgiveness (as laid out in the Bible) are not negotiable. If we want to be forgiven we have to forgive, no matter what the crime. This is one of the most selfless examples Jesus left for us to follow. If after being nailed to a cross for our sins he was able to say “Father forgive them…” Surely we can do the same?