Forgiving Others: Part 2 of 5 in the Series "Forgiveness"

Forgiveness is all we can do.  It is not for us to make people see our point or to see their error or how they may have wronged us.  That’s God’s job and the sooner we accept that the better off we will be.

Romans 12:19-21 --- Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” Says the Lord.  On the Contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Look at verse 21 – Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

I would overlook this part of the passage and focus only on the part that says God will avenge; however when I did that I was still being overcome by evil and not forgiving.  I would do things or say things that sounded good and then sit back and wait for God to step in and show the other person how they hurt me or punish them for the wrong I felt they had done to me.  That was the wrong heart.  I have learned that to overcome evil with good my actions have to be from that place deep inside my heart.  I have to be able to freely give and do with out holding on and looking to see when the other person will be made to pay for the wrong they did to me.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean opening yourself back up to hurt

Forgiveness doesn’t mean allowing the other person’s behavior to continue

I have realized that there are some situations that I have to remove myself from.  Some people in this world are just evil and all I can do is pray for them and move on, but in doing that I still have to truly forgive them.  Even though I may choose to not have them as a part of my life I still have to let go of the wrong they may have done and forgive them from my heart. 

Forgiveness sets you free

Mark 11:25--- Jesus said, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Forgiveness lets you remove the pain you carry inside of you that you feel was done by someone else. The other person does not have to admit that they ever did you wrong and they don’t have to come and apologize.  The other person doesn’t have to do anything.  Forgiveness is something done inside of ourselves, to release us from the pain that we feel.

Forgiveness releases our need for revenge

Forgiveness means letting go of the pain we feel inside ourselves

Forgiveness is possible in any situation

Start forgiving and letting go in little ways:

1. Stop looking funny at the friend that didn’t invite you to their last event.
2. Don’t hold it against the person who forgot to return your phone call.
3. Forgive the co-worker who seems to let you do all the work and then they take all the credit