September 24th

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15

We often confuse the act of forgetting with the act of forgiving. Only God can empower us to forget a wrong that is done to us or against us. We also try to protect ourselves by not forgiving others when they hurt us. Forgiveness is a powerful element in the mercy of God that He displays towards us. Mercy is an expression of forgiveness towards another. When we do not forgive, then Father God will not forgive us of our many sins.

A way of looking at forgiveness is deciding that this person’s wrong against me will hold no power over my future actions towards them. Forgiveness breaks us free of the chains of unforgiveness. This allows us to express God’s love towards the one who hurt us. In doing so, God uses our forgiveness to unleash His power to heal wounds, change lives and free others from the bondages of anger and bitterness. This helps to free us from the clutches of evil and chains of sin.