A Little Bit of Faith: Be Willing to Forgive

Do you have a difficult time forgiving people? Do you have problems with angry outbursts? If so, there is hope for you. You can change. It is God’s desire that we be willing to forgive one another just as He has forgiven us.  He also desires that we let go of bitterness and anger as well. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Ephesians 4:31).  It goes on to say, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Therefore, if God is able to forgive you of your many wrongs, you should be willing and able to forgive others as well.  This does not mean that you have to become best friends with the person or persons whom you have forgiven. It simply means that you should have a heart for forgiveness. This is being Christ-like.

We are also to be careful with our temper. We should be slow to anger. We should allow our speech and words to be pleasing to God. But with the crazy things that occur in life, it might be difficult to keep one’s self from becoming angry.  However, the Bible suggests that we should be “…speaking the truth in love…” and that by doing this “…we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).

Ultimately, if we have a heart of forgiveness and we are careful with our words, we can eventually restore broken relationships. It might take time, and if you seek God’s help, it can be done.  But it all begins with you. Are you willing to seek to restore a broken relationship? If you are you must first forgive the person and seek God to help show you what to do next. Amen? Amen.