Forgiveness

Forgiveness

A few weeks ago I was in Romania, getting to visit with some people I have known for awhile. Most I have known since 1999 or 2000. A couple of others I have met since then. When I met them, they were kids, eight, nine or ten years old, and they were all residents at a state-run orphanage. Now they are grown or almost grown. Over the last couple of years, I have discovered a little about what the orphanage was like. To sum it up, without getting hideous, conditions were terrible. There was all kinds of psychological, emotional, physical and sexual abuses, piled on top of the rejection, neglect and abandonment these kids experienced. I used to say to people, “If you can imagine it, it probably happened at that orphanage.” But I have discovered that some things are beyond my imagination on its worst day.

In one conversation, one of these friends let me in, just a little, to some of the pain he experienced while in the orphanage. As we spoke, I prayed that somehow, he would experience the healing work of the Spirit of God through Christ deep down in his soul. I am grateful that he is a believer, because only the Creator can accomplish the “heart-healing” he needs. I encouraged him to talk to some mutual friends there who could help him. I also encouraged him to be careful of growing bitter, because he would be the one to suffer.

Hebrew 12:14-15 says, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled…” Bitterness destroys the offended, not the offender. It spills out to people we really want to be close to, when we are under pressure.

This past Sunday night at church, our speaker, Tim Williams, spoke about the “Incredible Power of Forgiveness.” Here are a few salient points and quotes. Sorry that I don’t have attribution for where he was quoting.

“Forgiveness is a choice you make to give up your rights for vengeance and negative thoughts.”

Jesus said, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive them, then your Father who is in heaven will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:14-15) Jesus is making the point that we should extend grace and forgiveness to others that we want for ourselves. If not, somehow it will cost us.

Tim cited the story about the woman caught in adultery as an example of what Jesus was calling us to. (See John 8:1-11)

Psalm 7:11 “God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.”
Tim followed that verse up with, “Forgiveness is not for the offender, but for the offended. It frees the offended and puts the responsibility on God to deal with the offender.” It was then I thought again about those words of caution in Hebrews 12.

My prayer for my Romanian friends, and for all of us, is that we will choose forgiveness. It can set us free.