Grace. Oh, how we like to receive grace from others. It is so awesome to have someone extend God’s loving grace to us. We accept it and appreciate it and it makes us feel warm inside our hearts and souls. It is always welcome to us. It is sought after by us and sometimes longed for to get from others. It means someone has followed God’s directive to forgive us of something we did wrong to them.
Now, let’s talk about giving grace to others. “Jim, you don’t understand. I can’t forgive others for the wrongs they have done to me! It hurt too much. It caused too much pain.” Wait, seriously do you hear what you are saying to me?” Let’s think about what was done to Jesus for a moment. Wrongly accused, people talked trash about him behind his back. He was opposed by most. Treated like an outcast by leaders. Considered a criminal by some. Arrested and tried by a kangaroo court. Beaten and whipped beyond recognition. A crown of long sharp thorns was pressed down on his head. He was forced to carry his own cross until he was too exhausted to continue. Nailed with spikes to a cross and crucified. His body was pierced with a spear. Then what does he do? He extends grace to those who crucified him. In His final words before He dies, He extends grace. Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Before you tell God, you can’t forgive someone and extend His loving grace to them because it hurt too much, think hard about the example He set for us in one statement. What it says to me,is this, no matter how much someone hurt you in your past, forgive them and show them grace. I know what you might be thinking, “Jim, you have no idea the pain I have been caused by being molested as a child!” You are right, I don’t know. But,God does know pain, even the pain of His only son dying on a cross and bearing the sins of all time. Yes, it would be extremely hard to forgive that person who did that to you, but forgivenessis not for them, it is for you. When we don’t give grace to others and forgive their wrongs it eats us alive for our entire life.
It may not be bothering others at all and sometimes they have no idea what they said or did wrong. You have been the prisoner all this time by holding onto that pain inside.
I will close with this verse from God’s Word. Jesus says in Matthew 6:14–15, “if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But,if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Wow! That is some strong wording for anyone especially Christ followers. I do not see and gray in that statement Jesus makes.There are no exceptions in His wording. Like I said in the beginning, we love getting grace, but we are not very good at giving grace. We ALL need to do better, ALL includes me too.
Jim Everett
