The Message Is Forgiveness

Today, we want to talk to you about forgiving someone who isn’t sorry - More like accepting an apology you never received.

Father forgive them for they know not what they do ( Luke 23:34)

The basis of our salvation is forgiveness that we received before we even knew that we needed it. If we access the situation of the thieves crucified beside Jesus- one accepted forgiveness that had already been given to him and the other did not but what we can agree on is that for the ‘bad thief’, it was all on him not on Jesus - because Jesus, did his part and so must we.

I’m sure Jesus wasn’t angry at the bad thief, but he must have felt pity for him.

Now, when someone offends you, it’s normal to be initially upset but holding on to that anger, is just a waste of your time, emotion and would disrupt your peace.

We must also realize that it’s not the offense or the insults that hold the power to upset us, it’s how we allow the offense and insults to affect us that holds the power to upset us - it’s what we allow to get to us that can get to us.

So, yes people would always offend us and a good number of those people may not know they offended us but a lot would.

Many of those who know may not be sorry talk-more asking for your forgiveness. So how do you circumvent such a situation?

-Make excuses for people.

-Be a little tender in your criticisms as regards other people’s actions even if it’s directed at you.

-Take responsibility and assume a sense of personal accountability.

-Focus on yourself. Understand that you have no control over how anybody else feels, thinks, or acts. You only have control over yourself. So do yourself a favor and focus on how you can make your life easier. Forgiveness is liberating. Liberate yourself.

In trying to make the true face of God known, we need to be aware of the great evangelizing force found in the testimony of forgiveness and tap into it. Our evangelization is incomplete without forgiveness because the message is love and love forgives whether or not it’s asked to.