Finding Forgiveness

Forgiven. There are things all of us have done that we need forgiveness for. Little things. That careless word, the smart remark, the frustrated yell. And there are big things. Not returning that important phone call, hiding an embarrassing mistake. And of course there are even bigger things. But all of us have failed at perfection at some point in our lives. And if you haven’t, you will.

Isn’t it wonderful that we have a loving and forgiving God? He loves us at our lowest point. Bankruptcies, divorces, bad marriages, wayward children. He loves us through it all. He forgives us for everything. All those bad decisions, and poor choices. He loves us through them. Hard to believe. But that is what Easter is all about. Forgiveness. He took all our failings, all our sin on himself and then died with it on the cross. Forgiveness. Once and for all.

And all He asks is that we forgive each other as we are forgiven.

That is the request. Forgive each other. If we expect our stupidity, our anger, our mistakes to be wiped away, we should look with the same forgiveness on each other. It doesn’t mean we have to allow bad behavior or hang around abuse. It does mean we forgive and then move on with our lives. Perhaps wiser and more careful than we were before.

Forgiveness frees us from the past. I have known people in my life that have done some terrible things. They were broken, sad people. But, hard as it may have been, I have forgiven them. I don’t choose to be around them any more, but I am free from needing to be angry and vengeful. I am free.

I have been forgiven my poor choices that led me into tough situations, and so have you been forgiven. Let those burdens go. You can let it all go now and be free, too.

We are forgiven.