Forgiveness isn’t approving the hurt that happened, its choosing to rise above.  When you forgive, you set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.

Jesus was betrayed to His death, and yet he called Judas “friend”

Matthew 26:45-50 (KJV) 

Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and👉 the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.👈

Rise, let us be going: behold,👉 he is at hand that doth betray me.👈

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Now 👉he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: 👈hold him fast.

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

And Jesus said unto him, 👉Friend,👈 wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Jesus knew who, what, where, when, and how he would die, yet👉 He forgave.👈 He still called Judas friend.

When we get hurt by someone, we are quick to blame and judge and want to write them off. But that is NOT acting like a Christian. We don’t forgive. We don’t forget. We hang on to it for years. It destroys us mentally and physically. We make ourselves sick over it. We may go the rest of a lifetime never forgiving, to only harm ourselves.

Jesus forgave with a pure heart. It had to be pure to be able to sit at the right hand of The Father. If we can’t forgive with a pure heart, are we cutting ourselves out of the book of life?

Jesus died on the cross for our sins that we might be saved. Each year He gives us His Day of Atonement. To ask forgiveness of our sins and iniquities.

So, just before Atonement, I ask my friends and family to forgive me of any wrong doing they feel I have committed against them. We must free our hearts and our minds. Purge the guilt and hatred and set our soul free. I confess that I do this practice every year because I am not perfect and I fall short for the Glory of God. I am nothing but a pile of filthy rags trying to wash my garments clean. We are flesh, and must kill our flesh daily.

Matthew 18:21-22 (KJV) 

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

With that being said, in the true Spirit of Christ, I will forgive you seventy times seven and ask the same of you.

I will continue to kneel before The Lord asking for forgiveness daily.  And through His Grace and Mercy, He awakens me with the breath of life and a chance to repent and try to do better today than I did yesterday.

THANK YOU LORD FOR TEACHING US FORGIVENESS IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME (through your uncut word, because we are not taught this in Sunday Church).

Here are some steps that have helped me.

• Know what forgiveness is and why it matters.
• Just like exercise, become forgivingly fit.
• Don’t be afraid to address your inner pain.
• Try to develop a forgiving mind through empathy.
• Find meaning in your pain, see the lesson it was meant to teach.
• When forgiveness is hard, ask The Lord for His forgiving strength.
• Forgive YOURSELF
• Try to develop a forgiving heart