4 things you need to forgive
4 Things You Need for Forgiveness during Holy Week (Special) (Luke 23:33-34)
1. Prayer
Even on the cross, Jesus prayed for forgiveness (verse 33). So pray for forgiveness. Forgiveness is not easy. Forgiveness does not work well by human will or determination. So we need prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. If there are still people who have not forgiven, it is because they have not prayed enough yet. If you pray, you will change yourself before solving problems and answering questions, and you will be able to forgive. Then you will find peace in your heart, and the chains of diseases and curses that bound you at that time will be released.
Now, don't just ask for the 'grace of forgiveness' to forgive, but also ask for the 'power of forgiveness' to enable you to forgive. Forgiveness is a gift of the Holy Spirit to those who pray. Therefore, if there is someone you cannot forgive, have pity on him and pray.
If you get a lot of hurt in your life, it will be difficult to pray, but the more you do it, the more you pray. Praying brings peace to your heart. If you pray, you will realize that being hurt without hurt is a blessing, that being betrayed without being betrayed is a blessing, and that there is God's good will in your wounds. That's when the wound will heal quickly. If you clench your fists and get angry, the road will be blocked, but if you put your hands together to pray and forgive, the road will open. When we become the winner of prayer like that, we can become the winner of forgiveness.
2. Understanding
The Lord asked us to forgive us and continued to speak. “Because they do not know what they are doing.” Why do people hate? In many cases, this is due to misunderstandings caused by not knowing the exact situation. As such, all human beings are fragile beings, and the more we understand their weaknesses, the more we can forgive them.
No one is perfect in the world. How many mistakes do each person make? There are many mistakes in a single word. So, everyone makes mistakes. Therefore, when you see someone's wrongdoing, do not condemn him solely on the basis of justice, but calmly understand him. In fact, his faults are usually those of the past and those of the present. Therefore, do not cultivate hatred by small differences.
Even more so at church or at home. Realize that when people are close, such as at home or at church, they have high expectations of the other person, which can lead to more disappointment over trifles, and always live with more understanding than expectations in close relationships. In particular, if you want a married couple to live a happy life, never tell the other person's faults and the faults of the other person's family, and keep your true weaknesses and shameful things as secret as possible.
When sharing prayer topics, even if you say, “Please pray for my husband’s faith!” My husband is addicted to gambling. Please pray!” Be extremely careful and only offer it to people with a heavy mouth who truly love you and can pray for you. Such prayer topics can be used to insult and gossip about your husband in the name of sharing prayer topics. If you do not share prayer topics wisely, the time you share prayer topics can be a time to spread gossip and gossip.
In any case, at church and at home, do not put a lock on your mouth and say anything that could cause harm to others. Also forgive each other's past. Why do marital relationships break up? This is because whenever they are upset, they point out past mistakes and stab the other person. No matter how heartbroken you may be, don't keep talking about the mistakes of the past. We can forgive a little more when we have the heart to know and understand that all people are lacking and ignorant.
3. Obedience
Forgiveness is not an option. Forgiveness is not an exhortation. Forgiveness is a command from God. In fact, how do I forgive the person who left me so badly hurt? If you follow your feelings, you cannot forgive someone who ignores you and leaves behind decisive pain, scars and failures. Still, instead of giving excuses and reasons to the command to forgive, say, “Yes! Okay!" and obey. Excuses, at best, are only self-centered excuses. So mature saints usually have fewer excuses.
Forgiveness is God's will and God's command. If you truly believe that Jesus is your Savior, then the command to forgive is “Yes! I forgive you!” obey. Then God will give you the power to forgive. In particular, those who have a special prayer request and want their prayers answered, be sure to check if there is anyone around you to forgive and forgive him first. When the door of forgiveness is opened, the door of prayer answers will also be opened.
4. Forget
How could Jesus forgive and pray for those who crucified Him? The reason is that you quickly forgot the wrong thing. Jesus quickly forgot the evil deeds of the crowd, the betrayal of the disciples, and also the deeds of the robbers mocking on the cross. The reason the Lord's forgiveness is infinite is because He has infinitely forgotten the wounds he received. Forgiveness is possible only when the wound is well forgotten.
In Matthew 18:21, we see a scene where Peter asks Jesus for forgiveness. "Lord! How many times will I forgive my brother if he sins against me? Shall we do it seven times?” Peter knew that it would be great to forgive up to seven times, and asked, “Shall we do it up to seven times?” as if he had a big heart.
Then Jesus said, "Forgive not only seven times, but seventy times seven times!" This does not mean to forgive 490 times, but to forgive to the end. Forgiveness that begins counting two, three, seven is no longer forgiveness. It is to put off revenge until later. That's why, later, when you get revenge, you shout "I know how many times I've forgiven you!"
True forgiveness doesn't end after a few times. Continue to forgive. How can I do that? That is why we need a holy forgetfulness that easily forgets the wounds. In the end, being filled with the Holy Spirit is about forgetting the wounds well. God will give the power of forgiveness to the person who forgets, and will unfold a blessed future ahead of him.
Forget the scars of the past. Even if a couple fights, you have to fight over the present. Just as God does not reexamine sins once forgiven, do not bring up past wounds and reexamine them yourself. Don't let the past become a prison for the present. Open that prison door as soon as possible and go out into the future. If you forget the wounds of the past and go out believing that those wounds were also God's training process, you will eventually be given an amazing history of victory.
Forgive me now. If we hate, we die together, but if we forgive, we live together. The worst thing in this world is not to forgive. It is a curse. If I try to kill others, I die first. In the end, forgiveness is the only way to live. Lack of forgiveness destroys the bridge you must cross, but forgiveness is like building a bridge of blessing. Forgiveness is like the fragrance of a flower that perfumes those who trample it. Forgiveness is such a beautiful thing. Forgiveness is the greatest way to be blessed. When you forgive, God forgives you.