Forgiving Me

Easter is only a few weeks away.  This is the time when Christians celebrate our Risen Savior and the empty tomb. 

The truth that stands out to me the most on this holiday is—forgiveness.  From the cross, Jesus says, “Father, forgive them.”   

His innocent life was the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world from generations past straight through to eternity.  Christ is and forever will be our example of forgiveness.  His death and resurrection cleared the roadblocks between the creator and the created.  

Now, we can freely receive the grace of His forgiveness.  Yet, we the created still struggle to apply forgiveness in our encounters with others.   

Here are the three areas we wrestle with when dealing with forgiveness:

• You forgiving me
• Me forgiving you…AND the biggie...
• Me forgiving me

We all want to be forgiven by someone when we mess up, yet the hardest person to forgive—is ourselves.  I can extend mercy to you, but not to me. 

I look in the mirror and point at 'guilty me' and say, “You should have known better!”  Shoulders slumped I walk away splashing in the pool of self-pity.  Not trusting that the death and resurrection of Jesus covered my imperfections! 

In 1 John 1:9 it says this.  “But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.” ERV

The next time you are in need of a dose of self-forgiveness, remember this...the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is for YOU.  You don’t have to carry the blame or point a finger of accusation at yourself.   

Forgive...as you have been forgiven and that includes—forgiving YOU!