Laws of Relating
Forging Forgiveness – Part 1
Scripture Reading: Psalm 103:10-14
Key Verse: Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Forgiveness is a central tool in God’s toolbox for relating to our relations. However, when the word forgiveness is used, our minds go in different directions. It is not an easy concept to define with total clarity. Webster offers these words: “to give up resentment of or a claim to requital for; to grant relief from payment…pardon”!
Our printed key verse for today points us to the act of God which was done for us. We believers have asked for and received forgiveness from God. The Bible helps us understand what that means for us. Psalm 103:12 tells us that God’s forgiveness means He removes our transgressions from us—how far? As far as the East is from the West!
This is the first principle of forging forgiveness toward anyone who hurts us—remove the sin from the relationship. In other words, if you are trying to forgive that person you must no longer allow the hurtful deed they did against you to be part of your evaluation of that person. Every time your mind starts to connect them with what they did to you, you must get your mind on something else! It takes a discipline of the mind to accomplish real forgiveness! The devil will constantly try to remind you of their sin against you. He wants you to meditate on it. We must meditate on God’s forgiveness of our sins!
Father, I am so grateful that you remove my sins from our relationship. Grant me strength to do the same for those who hurt me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.