Forgiveness

In one of his sermons, Pastor Scott Hoezee told about an interesting study on forgiveness conducted by the Templeton Foundation in cooperation with the University of Michigan and the National Institute for Mental Health. According to this study, 75% of Americans are “very confident” that they have been forgiven by God for their past offenses. Surprisingly this is true even of those who don’t have much to do with God otherwise.

“The picture was less bright, however, when it came to interpersonal relations,” claimed Hoezee. Only about half of the people surveyed said that they had completely forgiven others.  

Most interesting to me is something else the study found. Where forgiveness does take place, there is a link between forgiveness and better health. “The more prone a person is to grant forgiveness, the less likely he or she will suffer from any stress‑related illnesses.” 

I am grateful that most people sense God’s grace. The scriptures teach us that God is a God of forgiveness and mercy, abounding in steadfast love. But they also teach us that in some ways, our ability to accept God’s forgiveness is tied to our own capacity to forgive. 

Jesus once said, “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

My prayer for you today is that you would let go of any grudges, bitterness, or resentment you may be carrying. Remember life is short, and we only hurt ourselves by nursing our anger. Forgive others and allow God’s grace to wash over you – even now.

Let us pray: Have mercy on us, Loving God. Help us to let go of any burdens that we carry or any past mistakes or failures that we can’t seem to let go of. May your forgiveness and grace wash over us. And then, Gracious God, help us to forgive with the forgiveness we ourselves have received, that new beginnings may be ours through Jesus Christ. Amen.