Do you ever have that moment where you run into that person who has hurt you, your family, or someone you love?
What do you do?
Do you do like me and try to avoid them at all costs?
Then, do you remind yourself of what they did? Do you go over in your head what you would like to tell them? Maybe you even want them to get what you think they deserve.
I struggle with this.
I struggle knowing that God wants me to forgive.
I struggle knowing that God has said, “Love your enemies.”
Sometimes for me, Luke 6:27-37 is the most convicting passage in the Bible.
How do you love your enemy?
How do you do good to them?
How do you bless those who curse you?
How do you pray for those who mistreat you?
How do you not judge?
How do you forgive?
It’s hard.
But it is also completely necessary.
When we choose not to forgive, we choose pride.
The Bible says that the Lord hates pride.
When we are prideful, we are choosing our ways over God’s.
Psalm 10:4 says, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
We don’t get to pick which areas we will follow God.
We must follow Him completely.
Especially when it is hard.
When we choose to forgive, we humble ourselves. We give up what we desire because we know God deserves full obedience.
We are also humbled because we know we can’t love, forgive, and do good to our enemies through our own power.
It is only through seeking God, praying constantly for Him to help us overcome our pride, praying to help us be obedient, praying for our thoughts to be on excellent and praiseworthy things instead of malicious things; it is only through Him, and by Him that we can love and forgive.
I want to do better.
Maybe you do too.
Maybe we start with a simple prayer:
