“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37-38)
In the movie 'Bruce Almighty,' there's a sad scene where Jim Carrey (as God) says to Jennifer Aniston, "Love me! Love me!" but because she has free will, he cannot force her to love him. In the same way that we can't make anyone love us, we also can't make anyone forgive us. We want God to forgive us for our failures, but yet so often we are not willing to forgive those who have sinned against us. I've been in both places...I know the agony of not being forgiven, and I also have struggled at times to forgive those who hurt me. I would much rather be wounded by others actions towards me, than to be the one inflicting the pain. Why? I have the power to forgive, so the choice is up to me, but when I need someone to forgive me, I have no control whatsoever to make them forgive me. Have you ever been there? If you have, then you have experienced the same tragic sorrow as I have, and that makes us fellow sojourners on this painful sea of life.
If you have never experienced unforgiveness, then join me on this journey anyway, because someday you may be standing in my shoes, and you will appreciate the hand stretching out to you.
Most of us have had the opportunity to forgive, and it is the sweetest, most heartfelt joy that one could hope to experience in their lifetime. But have you ever had a friend whom you have hurt, offer you the olive branch a little too hastily? Perhaps they want the joy that forgiveness brings, so much so that they utter the words “I forgive you” before their heart has a chance to truly experience the grace of forgiveness.
And so you’re swept along in this river of acceptance, only to discover that you are really not accepted or forgiven. Perhaps in your child-like thinking you felt a false sense of release, and you naively made your way back to the simpler life; baby steps of your innocence, only to discover that you are no longer this pure, carefree spirit. The person you have hurt is holding you in bondage to your sins, and it seems you will never escape the chains of unforgiveness, even though in God’s eyes you are no longer a slave to sin, struggling to keep your head above the muddy waters of discord. You still feel as though you are drowning in the mistakes of the past.
If only by the grace of God your friend would just reach out their hand to pull you out of the mire and into the freedom of forgiveness. If only…
I wish I could assure you that forgiveness will once again grace the doorway of your soul, but I can’t do that. Only God can offer that olive branch of hope to you, because I know all too well that some things are out of our reach, but nothing is beyond His right hand. So let us join hands with Him on this rocky, turbulent journey, and purpose in our hearts that we will never drag one more poor soul into this restless, raging river of unforgiveness. Let us instead offer the life boat of forgiveness to the wounded perpetrators and victims alike, for we are all victims of the stormy sea of life. Thankfully, God just happens to be in the life-saving business...the Captain of the search and rescue team. It is to Him alone we reach up our hands to be rescued.
