Sunday Morning Musings: Forgiveness

I love the way Sunday Morning Musings sounds, but it seems like I never get this post up in the morning!  Oh well.  The musing definitely happens in the morning.

Forgiveness - so necessary and so very hard!  To not only walk with a heart wide open, but return love for injury, even time after time(Matthew 18: 21-22) . . .what a challenge!  And yet we are called to do it, not because it is good for us (though it is), but because of the forgiveness we have already received in abudance:

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you... Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same... But love your enemies, do good... and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful... Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Luke 6:27-37

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
Colossians 3:13

What freedom when we do decide to let go, to choose to move forward in kindness rather than protective anger and bitterness!  As terribly hard as it is to move from hurt to love, we find God when we do, and we are flooded with relief and even joy.

"While many Christians are off chasing bogus revivals and spiritual hucksters making self-claims to be "anointed" or chasing some wind of doctrine to get some splash of spiritual thrill, what often goes untried is God's way of obedience. Want to experience God? FORGIVE. Want to feel His presence and power coursing through your body in a thrilling moment of supernatural encounter? Forgive."