A LIFESTYLE OF FORGIVENESS
A LIFESTYLE OF FORGIVENESS
A lifestyle of forgiveness is one of the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith. It ranks amongst the foremost.
Jesus Christ not only taught it. He demonstrated it. He exhaustively proved that forgiveness is possible when He forgave the people who crucified him. He forgave the thief on the cross who mocked him.
Living a life of forgiveness is offering a constant bowl of open mercy to those who offend you and readiness to receive the same from God and people you offend.
The doorway of mercy must always remain open with sincerity to whoever offends us irrespective of the offense.
In Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus taught us not to keep track record of how many times we forgive someone. We should always forgive them genuinely no matter how many times they offend us.
As parents, one foremost lesson we must teach our children is how they can forgive. That teaching exposes the fact that God expects us to live a life of forgiveness.
When my youngest child, Heavenly was three years of age. He was fond of saying,” Daddy, please I forgive you!” with tears. As a way of saying I am sorry which He meant to say ” it was funny to us as we made fun of him.
But one day, the Holy Spirit gave me an understanding of the phrase.
Do you show kindness by opening the door for offenders to demand forgiveness?
It’s hard to forgive and forget when we are hurt. We may focus on the hurts and refuse to accept repentance. We find ourselves bearing the burden of unresolved injuries and painful memories compounded by an unforgiving spirit.
But if we live a lifestyle of forgiveness, God can help us to close chapters of past hurts.
CAN YOU LIVE A LIFESTYLE OF FORGIVENESS? Yes!
# Admit we all make mistakes
# Put yourself in the other person’s feeling
# Give up your right of getting even
# Choose to respond with kindness
# Repeat this process often
If we’re hurt, can the offender find access back to our hearts?
PRAYER:
Lord, give me the ability to forgive always in Jesus name. Amen
© CYMI Blog, Written By Pastor Akan Akpan
Photos: Jametlene Reskp and Brett Jordan
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Christian Youth Mentoring Initiative provides opportunities for mentorship, leadership training, growth, and development of youths. Our vision is to raise well-balanced youths, high flyers, focused, and capable of standing out in the global world. Email us: info@cymi.org.ng
