I'm posting some frequently asked questions about forgiveness this week as a follow-up to our subject this past week at NHC. So here's FAQ #2...
How can I forgive when they haven't even apologized?
One of the biggest struggles in making the decision to forgive is the idea that I have to let go of what that person did to me - regardless of whether or not they say, "I'm sorry." Let's face it, when we've been hurt we want to hear those words. We want to know that they're taking responsibility for our hurt. Sometimes it would be nice if they'd even grovel a little bit!
But that doesn't always happen. Sometimes the person may not know that they hurt you. Or them may not care that they hurt you. They move away. Sometimes they die before they apologize. When the apology doesn't come it makes it hard to forgive and we want to be off the hook. "They didn't apologize, so I don't have to forgive." But here's what the Bible says...
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
One question: Did Jesus wait for us to apologize for our sin before he went to the cross for our forgiveness?
When someone hurts us it's hard to forgive, but we need to remember that forgiveness is about our freedom. When we wait for an apology we stay locked up in our bitterness. We allow that person to control our lives and our emotions.
So make the decision to forgive...just like Jesus forgave you!
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