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Scripture
So watch yourselves.
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Luke 17:3-4 NIV
Reflection
Forgiveness is not about or for the other person, it is about and for us. We must release ourselves from the negativity, poison, darkness, and suffocating environment that will slowly but surely kill us. Instead, we must forgive each and every time. We must forgive, let go, and not harbor or dwell on what was done to us.
Jesus didn’t say we had to resume some type of close-knit relationship with those who sin against us; he simply said to forgive them when they repent. Forgive to release yourself so you can walk in peace. Forgive so that even when you see the one who sinned against you, your heart is not cold and hardened.
Even when we rebuke a person, let love guide you to walk away without stooping to the other person’s level. Jesus didn’t rebuke people and then act a fool like them. His wisdom and light propelled him above them so that when he refused to deal with them, he remained empowered and it drained the other person of their essence and being. It left the other person empty, and oftentimes desiring a fullness that could only come from the Son and our Father.
Consider that and then free yourself!
Prayer
Father, I am learning to forgive those who sin against me, even when they don’t voice remorse or choose repentance. Touch my heart to always see them as Your child, even when they have aligned themselves as my enemy. Touch my heart to be graceful and dignified— even when I have urges to get loud, ignorant and disruptive, or just spiteful. I know that the act of forgiveness is about me, and not them, and for that reason I choose to follow Jesus’s direction and commandment. I choose to forgive, as You have forgiven me. Help me to not keep track of wrongdoings, like slashes on my back. You’re not keeping tally of my sins and wrongdoings, holding them against me. I want to obey and honor You. I want to walk as You desire. In Your Name and Jesus’ Name, I humbly pray. Amen.
Love,
Natasha
Copyright 2012-2022. Natasha L. Foreman. Some Rights Reserved. All Prayers and Reflections are Copyright Protected by Natasha L. Foreman. breakingbreadwithnatasha.com
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