Who do you need to forgive?

The past few months have been a time of self-reflection for me. With everything going on in the world, I’ve found myself angry at people I consider to be unenlightened.  Whether it is about the response to COVID-19 and wearing masks or the senseless killings of black Americans, I’ve found myself to have moments of intense anger.  Inevitably after the anger comes a certain level of shame for feeling that way.  I know….God gave me the emotions and it’s natural to feel them.  I have to admit, sometimes, I’m a little conceited and feel that anger is beneath me.  I know that’s crazy, but it’s true.  All that said, the anger has been real and deep.

Then I think, “What would Jesus do?”  And, I’m reminded of Him forgiving the very ones who killed Him on the cross.  If Jesus can forgive those present at His own crucifixion (and all of us) and I am in Christ, surely He has given me power through the Holy Spirit to do the same.  According to the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley, psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve it.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you forget or condone the offence, but it does mean letting go of the anger that can be exceedingly corrosive in your life.  Choosing to forgive brings peace of mind by allowing you to recognize the pain and move on to healing.  As long as you’re holding on to the pain and anger, the wound continues to fester and never really lets you go. 

Also in that way, we have to remember the “Lord’s Prayer”, where we ask God to “forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors” in Matt 6: 12.  So, if we expect God to consciously forgive our debts, we have to actually forgive our debtors.  What have you done that you need God’s forgiveness for?  I have a few things I can think of over the last day that I need God to forgive me for, so I have to forgive those who have wronged me.  I’m not saying it’s easy, but God doesn’t want us to carry the burden of our anger such that it leads us to sin.  Remember, forgiveness is a choice, it’s not a feeling.  We get to choose to let things go…..that’s that pesky free will at work. 

So the question is - who and what do you need to forgive to heal and move forward?  What and who are holding you back from your next step forward?  Don’t let it.  Forgive and move on. Remember, that’s what we want God to do for us.