And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.- Mark 11:2

That’s a tough verse for us. How can I forgive someone who was so thoughtless? How can I forgive him for doing this again? Why does she continue to hurt my feelings on purpose? We’ve all been in one of these situations and they sting.

I find myself in these situations quite frequently. And it is really difficult at times to turn the other cheek when we are in our flesh. Our emotions get in the way, and we sometimes make a very small situation into a huge problem in our minds. We lash out and say something that makes everything worse. Instead of letting it go, we strain or ruin a relationship.

We are living in an extremely fast paced society. Sometimes we can be caught off guard. We know that a situation is going to try to change our heart toward other people, and it’s important to be prepared and ready to forgive before we even encounter the situation. By doing this, we will be stronger because we will see it coming. We will keep our heart at peace throughout the day and you will not find yourself being offended as easily.

God wants us to act in kindness. He wants us to remember what His Son did for us. Jesus gave His life to forgive ALL of our sins; not just the small ones but the huge ones. Jesus forgives everyone who calls on His name no matter what the sin is. Gossip, adultery, murder– no sin is too big or too small for Jesus to forgive.

So if Jesus is willing to do this for us, why can’t we forgive others just as easily?  

I sat in a church service one Sunday and heard these words:  “How can we not forgive others for small things when Jesus forgave us for EVERYTHING?” That’s a powerful statement and one I try to remember when I get upset with someone. We were forgiven for everything! Our hearts may sting and we may bare the scars from a betrayal, but we must learn to forgive and move on. Even if the person never acknowledges their sin against you. Forgiveness is for our hearts and keeps us in right-standing with God. It keeps the bitterness of this world from overtaking us and making us behave against our Christian principles. 

I’m still human and I still have emotions. I’m still going to get upset with people and occasionally act out. However, I remind myself that I need to forgive and move on. I don’t want ugliness clouding my judgment and affecting my mood. An unforgiving spirit is not how I want other people to remember me, and I don’t want to live with bitterness in my heart.

There is nothing that God will not forgive us for if we turn to Him and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Do you want to stand before Jesus someday and tell Him that you were unable to forgive something small even though He forgave you for everything and died just for you? I sure don’t. I find that I’m much happier living in the spirit than in the flesh.

I challenge you to live in the spirit and not in the flesh for the next 30 days.  I think you will see a much happier you and you will strengthen your relationship with your Heavenly Father.