To Forgive or Not Forgive

Hey, y’all, it’s Daisy. Today, we are on the “This Week” page in our Alone With God journal. This means we are looking ahead, and we are taking inventory of our lives and putting specific focus on areas in which we want God to strengthen us, or transform us, or enlighten us.

And this is probably my favorite page. This and the gratitude page are my favorite pages of the journal. It switches back and forth every week depending on what my needs are. Sometimes, it’s the “Encountering The Father” page. But, if you don’t have our Alone With God journal, I will just say it is the thing that I use the most. I probably use it more than my toothbrush – And I brush my teeth a lot! So, if you would like to get one but you don’t have one, that’s okay. You can go to wordbymail.com and get yourself a journal.

Today’s devotional I have titled “To Forgive or Not Forgive.”

Matthew 18:15-17 (CEB)
15 “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and correct them when you are alone together. If they listen to you, then you’ve won over your brother or sister.
16 But if they won’t listen, take with you one or two others so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.
17 But if they still won’t pay attention, report it to the church. If they won’t pay attention even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile and tax collector.

If you ask my dad what my two most prominent qualities are, it would probably be my sensitivity and my stubbornness, which is sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse. But because of these traits, I sometimes have a difficult time taking the high road and letting go of my anger when my feelings get hurt. But God is refining me, don’t worry.

But there is just something so addictive and validating about being the victim of a situation and complaining about my misfortune to anyone who will listen. And, yes, it’s validating, but not godly. And Jesus makes it clear that we have to put our pride aside and prioritize the restoration of the relationship. Although, in some cases, it is better to forgive and walk away if the relationship is harmful or if the other person does not want to move forward in a way that honors God. However, regardless, we are still called to be obedient and to love and forgive as Christ loved and forgave us.

So, here are my questions from my devotional today. Think about a time when someone wounded you and instead of forgiveness, you chose to be angry and to gossip. How did that help or hurt your relationship? Have you asked for forgiveness from that person or tried to repair it? Does it still impact you? Now is the time to let go of any leftover anger or any resentment. Take it to God, leave it at his feet, and pray a prayer of blessing and love over the other person.

Let’s pray. Father, please give me the strength and the love to respond to my anger with compassion and solutions rather than holding on to pride and resentment. May the way that I conduct myself in my relationships always be pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.