The past few months I've tried to understand how to forgive more - and I think because I have been focusing on it more I've noticed it more. For example, our family car was bought at a certain dealership I never heard of before we got the car. After we got the car I started noticing how many other people bought their cars at the same dealership. When we focus on something, we will find it.
So, as I've been trying to learn about forgiveness and I have noticed people talking about it everywhere.
Here is a small portion of what I have learned about forgiveness.
1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
1 John 4:20 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"
Wow. This is so beautifully put I don't think we can misunderstand it.
This little video is one of my favorites. This parable, of the unmerciful servant, is one of my favorite parables. A statement to ponder while you watch: No one owes me more than what I owe Christ. What does this mean? We owe Christ more than we can ever repay. Due to this, we must forgive because Christ has told us to and we owe more to him than anyone we are debating to forgive can possibly owe us.
We owe Christ more than we can ever pay. People who have trespassed against us can only owe us pennies to what we owe Christ.
There are some things in my life I sincerely wish to be healed and forgiven. I realized a few days ago that I believe in order for me to heal/be forgiven of what I would like, I need to forgive everyone of everything that has happened in my life. I need to do that before I can be healed. Forgiving others leads to being healed! How incredible!
How do we do that? I know it's hard! Sometimes in our human fallen nature, we want revenge. We don't want to forgive. If we forgive we can be taken advantage of, hurt even more, we won't be able to hold grudges. But if we want to be healed and forgiven (and be 'free'), we must forgive.
I believe the 2 foundational points to forgiveness are compassion and humility;
Compassion - for the people who have hurt us. In the hymn "Lord I would Follow Thee" is a line, "Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly? In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see." We will never know the true intentions or why people hurt us. We need to have compassion as Jesus Christ did, with everyone who hurts us - and in general. Christ had perfect compassion for everyone - even the people who betrayed him. He is the perfect example to us how to have compassion.
Humility - realizing that we need Jesus Christ. Realizing that we are the servant who is in complete debt (to Him) that we can never repay.
If we are sincere and ask for the Lord's help to forgive someone, He will help. He wants to help us!
Once we forgive someone, we need to walk away from that situation for good. Don't bring up the circumstances again, just let it go. God will help us let go.
The Spirit will help us humble ourselves. He will help us ask for God's help. But it us up to us to decide to forgive someone and let it go.
After we have forgiven someone, we need to replace those feelings with charity which is the pure love of Christ.
"47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray
unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled
with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." - Moroni 7:47-48
If we have this love, we are becoming more like God and we will be able to see him when he comes because we will be like him.
Seeing Him comes by forgiving one other through his love, which brings healing to ourselves, which helps us become better servants to God in helping build up his kingdom.
I hope and pray we will all pray humbly and with 'all the energy of heart that we may be filled with this love' to be able to forgive more fully.
Study the scriptures- as they will tell us all things which we should do to return to our Heavenly Father which is the whole reason for coming to this Earth.
The Gospel is the only thing that matters.
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