Forgiveness Sets YOU Free

When I was a teenager, I used to fight with my sister a lot and it was almost always about using the computer. At that time, we only had one and I was somewhat addicted to an online game. Every day without fail, we would quarrel about who gets to use the computer first and for how long. Every time she went beyond her allotted time (because she needed to finish some school work) I would start a fight with her. Nothing good ever came out of it. My mother would intervene, scold the both of us and we both got banned from using the computer. I obviously blamed her for my misfortune. For a couple of days, I’d harbor the anger inside myself and any thought of forgiving her would not cross my mind. Throughout the week, I’d be generally moody and highly irritable. That was in the past.

For some of you, you probably have been in similar situation (but hopefully not as trivial as mine). There are times when someone would just come into your life, ruin it, and leave after dealing with the damage. It’s no surprise that you would detest that person from the bottom of your heart and the thought of him or her would make your blood boil. It’s not a pleasant feeling is it? Even scientific studies have shown that harboring anger has negative effects on the body. The solution: learning to forgive.

When Jesus was having his sermon at the mount, He taught his disciples a prayer and in this prayer it says, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us” (Matthew 6:12). Jesus taught us to forgive others just as the Father forgives us. In the parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18, Jesus shares with Peter that God forgives those who forgive others. When He died on the cross, He took upon himself the sins of the world and that was an act of forgiveness that would allow us to enter the gates of heaven. Jesus shed His own blood as an act of forgiveness. How about us? Can’t we even forgive people for the wrong doings that they’ve done in our lives?

Sometimes people hurt us so much that we can’t even imagine forgiving them. Our mind is just filled with thoughts of revenge and unpleasant ideas. We become bitter and miserable. Our whole being is affected and we feel encaged by these negative feelings. There are also time when the culprit is yourself. You find it hard to forgive the mistakes that you have committed and you become absorbed in the past, unable to move on.

But one thing we should know is that you can be free from all these problems. That freedom can be found in the Lord. Learning to forgive may be a hard process but trust me, your life will be different when you don’t carry the burden of grudges on your back. Your life won’t be bogged down by negative energy anymore and you will be able to live a brighter and less gloomy existence. Let the light of the Lord enter your life and transform you. Learn to forgive others and yourself.