Last week the topic of forgiveness came up in 1st period devotions. ‘I need to know more about the importance of forgiveness. How to let go of bitterness built up against another.’
During one class period, I read the story of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. As a class, we discussed who each character represented. The master was God, the first servant is us, and the second servant is anyone we need to forgive. In this parable, the master and servant are asked to forgive debts. We usually don’t have lots of debts against one another, but we do hold other things against people. The first step in forgiving someone else is counting the cost. What did the person take from you? If not money, did they take your pride? Your reputation? Your time? Energy? In order to forgive the person, you have to acknowledge what they took from you and absolve them of all responsibility to pay you back.
During the next devotional time, we all took pieces of paper and wrote on the top the “cost” – what we have been holding against another person, or what they took from us. Then I read Ephesians 5:4 and said that we tend to verbally abuse someone if we are angry with them, but rather than crude joking or foolish talk we should be thankful. So on the bottom part of the sheet of paper, we all wrote down a “thankful” list – things about the other person or the situation. Then I encouraged everyone to, in their own time and place, get rid of the half of paper with bitter thoughts on it, and when tempted to be angry with a person they should remind themselves of the “thankful” list.
We are to give thanks in all circumstances, including when someone has offended us or hurt us. No matter the offense, our deepest gratitude can stem from the forgiveness and grace He has already given us in Christ!
