How quickly should one forgive?
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A QUICK NOTE: this poll has nothing to do with anybody.
Jesus said we should forgive and pray for those who mistreat us, but when do you think we should do that? God forgives us instantly. Should we not also forgive instantly? Problem is, we aren't God. Our flesh goes on hurting long after the offense, especially if we don't understand the reason/s that were behind it. Emotional pain is much like physical pain in that we can't ignore it when its there. Do you think our forgiveness counts if in our hearts we are still bitter and angry? What are your thoughts?
Jesus said we should forgive and pray for those who mistreat us, but when do you think we should do that? God forgives us instantly. Should we not also forgive instantly? Problem is, we aren't God. Our flesh goes on hurting long after the offense, especially if we don't understand the reason/s that were behind it. Emotional pain is much like physical pain in that we can't ignore it when its there. Do you think our forgiveness counts if in our hearts we are still bitter and angry? What are your thoughts?
T
I chose as soon as I can because depending on the offense it takes different times to settle down hurt and or anger. You can say you forgive someone immediately but if you dont truely have forgiveness in your heart then you have lied to yourself and God. Its better to just walk away, talk it out (with God), calm down, and then forgive.
I also think the longer you live a spirit filled life the faster it will be to forgive as you will be so settled in your spirit about many things in life.
I also think the longer you live a spirit filled life the faster it will be to forgive as you will be so settled in your spirit about many things in life.
J
"Confessing a desire to forgive is the beginning of the healing process."
Not the completion thereof.
It's sort of like this verse:
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
We confess our desire to forgive and allow God to bring it about in us.
Not the completion thereof.
It's sort of like this verse:
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
We confess our desire to forgive and allow God to bring it about in us.
Last edited by a moderator:
J
Amen, Vinifera. <3
Mark 11:25 "‘when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’"
"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 you your sins." [Matt. 6:14-15]
Keeping this in mind, we should remember to be as loving and careful with our siblings in Christ as possible so as not to mess up their prayer life, as well as our own. We are called to love and edify one another. The world holds enough smackage (See, Hommer, I can make stuff up too haha) of its own for all of us.
P.S. - I don't mean to imply that we shouldn't forgive non-christians. We absolutely must. It's one of the best ways to show them Jesus.
Mark 11:25 "‘when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’"
"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 you your sins." [Matt. 6:14-15]
Keeping this in mind, we should remember to be as loving and careful with our siblings in Christ as possible so as not to mess up their prayer life, as well as our own. We are called to love and edify one another. The world holds enough smackage (See, Hommer, I can make stuff up too haha
) of its own for all of us. P.S. - I don't mean to imply that we shouldn't forgive non-christians. We absolutely must. It's one of the best ways to show them Jesus.
It used to take me quite a while (if at all) to forgive people, but I am finding over the past couple of years that I've walked with Jesus and the more I dwell on God's forgiveness shown to me both on the Cross and now in my everyday life, the quicker and easier it is to forgive others regardless of what they do to me. No one will ever sin against us nearly as much as we have sinned against our holy and righteous God, and yet through the Cross He forgives us both completely and instantaneously. That fact alone gives me both the ability and the desire to forgive others completely and almost instantly (I haven't quite perfected the "instantly" part yet, but I am slowly getting there - lol).
It took God many years to get me conformed to this point, but thankfully He did, for forgiveness is something we need to give as much as receive, as Julianna quoted Jesus as saying "If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" - Matthew 6:15.
"We owe so much to a forgiving God, we dare not withhold forgiveness from others."
- Raymond B. Dillard, Faith in the Face of Apostasy, Chapter 7, pg 96
"We need not look up into heaven to see whether our sins are forgiven; let us look into our hearts and see if we can forgive others. If we can, we need not doubt that God has forgiven us."
- Thomas Watson, A Puritan Golden Treasury, pg 111
It took God many years to get me conformed to this point, but thankfully He did, for forgiveness is something we need to give as much as receive, as Julianna quoted Jesus as saying "If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" - Matthew 6:15.
"We owe so much to a forgiving God, we dare not withhold forgiveness from others."
- Raymond B. Dillard, Faith in the Face of Apostasy, Chapter 7, pg 96
"We need not look up into heaven to see whether our sins are forgiven; let us look into our hearts and see if we can forgive others. If we can, we need not doubt that God has forgiven us."
- Thomas Watson, A Puritan Golden Treasury, pg 111
J
Excellent point, violakat. I suppose that's why it seems that our concern should maybe be more about not hurting people than about being hurt. The scriptures say that ALL things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus, even our hurts. He can be trusted to heal what we confess we are willing to forgive. But, when we hurt others, even when we ask for forgiveness, we don't know what their walk with the Lord is and their scars may remain. Kills me anytime I feel responsible for something like that more than when someone hurts me. Don't want to cause someone else to stumble.
V
"Confessing a desire to forgive is the beginning of the healing process."
Not the completion thereof.
It's sort of like this verse:
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
We confess our desire to forgive and allow God to bring it about in us.
Not the completion thereof.
It's sort of like this verse:
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
We confess our desire to forgive and allow God to bring it about in us.