A Forgiving Heart

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
—Luke 6:27–28

Several years ago, I was in a meeting with our media department. We were choosing what our premium offer would be that month for our Pathway to Victory broadcast. I said, “You know, I just preached a message entitled ‘Forgiveness: Life’s Most Important Choice’ and people responded favorably to that. Why don’t we send that out to our mailing list as our premium next month?” Our marketing consultant shuffled his feet and said, “Does anybody else have another suggestion?” I said, “Wait a minute; what’s wrong with that? People know they need to forgive other people. Why shouldn’t we send that out?” The consultant said, “Well, Pastor, let me put it this way. Yes, people know they need to forgive, just like people know that periodically they need to get a colonoscopy. But very few people are excited about that news, and even fewer are willing to pay for it.”

Most of us have a love-hate relationship with forgiveness. We love the idea of forgiveness when it comes to God forgiving us. And we love the idea of forgiveness when it comes to other people forgiving our shortcomings. But we have a hate relationship with forgiveness when it comes to forgiving other people.

Why do we struggle with this issue of forgiveness? How can we forgive when we don’t feel like forgiving? This week we’re going to talk about developing a forgiving heart.

Certainly, Jesus made forgiveness a priority. Just consider some of His teachings on forgiveness. For example, in Matthew 6:14–15, Jesus said, “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” And in Mark 11:25, Jesus said, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either” (Luke 6:27–29).

What does it mean to forgive other people? To forgive literally means “to release, to let go of.” It is letting go of somebody’s offense toward you. We see that demonstrated in Stephen, the first Christian martyr, when he was dying. “They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59–60).

Forgiveness means more than simply letting go of an offense. Forgiveness actually involves wanting the best for those who have offended you. It’s not only letting go of an offense, but it is praying for God’s blessing on those who have offended you. That’s what Stephen did. He not only let go of his offenders’ offense, but he said, “Lord, do something good for them. Do not hold their offense against them.”

A forgiving heart is one that genuinely desires good for those who commit evil against us.

***
Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Developing a Trusting Heart” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.