Finally I am able to return to the unpacking of "The Lord's Prayer." The Last time we were here, we looked at asking for our daily bread, today we move on to forgiveness.
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us." Matt 6:11 NLT
Jesus was laying the foundation for what our prayer life is supposed to look like. I don't believe he was giving us a set of prepared words to repeat over and over, like religion teaches us. Rather, I believe he was giving us an example of what relationship should look like. Not only our relationship with the Father, but also with our relationships with each other. They are equally connected. Our relationship with each other is a direct reflection of our relationship with God.
Jesus said to love God with all our heart and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
If we can't forgive the people in our lives for the sins or hurts they've caused us, then do we truly love them? This is a very tender spot for many people, myself included. "Yea, I know I am supposed to forgive but you don't know what they did?" It doesn't matter! Jesus said to forgive them. The beautiful part of this is he understands how difficult a task this can be. That is why he taught us to pray about it.
"With God all things are possible."
forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. It's a partnership. How can we who call ourselves Christians, that have been forgiven so much, hold back on forgiveness to someone else.
Many times we misunderstand what forgiveness is. It's not necessarily allowing someone who has hurt you in unspeakable ways back into your life. It doesn't mean you have to hang out with someone that has truly hurt you. It means that you give the hurt to God so you can go on with your life. To harbor unforgiveness, is to cultivate bitterness. It is a heavy burden. Forgiveness is as beneficial for us as it is to the other person involved.
Jesus, as he was hanging on the cross after being beaten beyond recognition, spit upon, ridiculed and completely dishonored by being stripped naked and marched through the streets, said "Father, please forgive them for they know not what they do."
They way we treat others is a direct reflection on our relationship with God. The next time someone offends you, think about it, then pray for the grace to forgive them.
If you are having a hard time with forgiveness, or if you would like to know more about Jesus and his forgiveness, please click on one of the church links on this page. If you need prayer or just someone to talk with, contact me directly; rlwhitener@gmail.com Please include "prayer request" in the subject line.
Thanks for following along,
God Bless
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