A NOTE FROM CHAPLAIN
The Beauty of
FORGIVING
A number of years ago, I had a friend and colleague who I felt had sinned against me. For years, I harbored a lingering sense of bitterness towards her. Every time her name was brought up, I was filled with anxiety, sadness, and anger. Every time she would contact me directly, those feelings were magnified. I had said in my head that I had forgiven her, but with the continued bitterness, I realized that I had not forgiven her. My unforgiveness wasn’t hurting her, just myself.
From the start of God’s relationship with His people, forgiveness was expected. We are to no longer hold their sin against them. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:17–18) This passage reminds us that: We respond to someone’s sin externally and internally. Both are important for us to think about! We sin if we respond inappropriately, and God is concerned with our present and future sins, not just theirs. A lack of forgiveness will destroy our community.
I recently came across this article that addresses forgiveness in times when it is especially difficult. You can find the full article here: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/ifyour-brother-sins-against-you ,but I’m summarizing a few points here that I think are important for all of us.
8 sph.edu
