Forgiveness
Helpful Verses:
“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103: 10–12
“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” Luke 11:4
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13
Interesting Quotes:
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. We who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” Nelson Mandela
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” Nelson Mandela
“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” Corrie Ten Boom
Example Patterns:
When people say sorry, purposefully say “I forgive you.”
If you are struggling to forgive a specific person, say the Lord’s prayer daily and think about that person during the line: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Put a regular time in, daily or weekly, to consider if you need to forgive anyone. Also use this time to explore whether there is anyone you need to ask forgiveness from.
Podcast:
If we fully grasp the practice of forgiveness – this radical way of Jesus – we will see the world around us changed. In this episode former Archbishop of Canterbury and leading British theologian Rowan Williams gives us his unique perspective on the power of forgiveness.