Scripture: "Get
rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well
as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has
forgiven you (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
When someone hurts you or you
experience an injustice, God knows about it. In fact, of course, He
knows every wrong that has ever occurred on earth, as well as the good
things. "His understanding has no limit" (Psalm 147:5), and He knows
that, as with all human action, "it has all been done before"
(Ecclesiastes 1:9)
Earthly Injustice
King Solomon wrote, “I observed
all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of
the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great
power, and their victims are helpless” (Ecclesiastes 4:1). He noticed
that people should not “be surprised if you see a poor person being
oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout
the land” (Ecclesiastes 5:8). He said this because, "not a single person
on earth is always good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20), so we need
to recognize that we, too, are sinners in need of forgiveness.
God's Justice
No matter how difficult a
situation, you can remember that God wants us to forgive one another
“just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ecclesiastes 4:32). And
because “The Lord loves righteousness and justice”(Psalm 33:5) , you can
rely on God to help you overcome injustice by being a loving and
forgiving person. It will probably be difficult, but “those who are wise
will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and
a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble” (Ecclesiastes
8:5-6).
PRAYER, CARE & SHARE
Have bad things ever
happened to you or the people close to you? Whether these things have
happened recently or long ago, we know God is very serious about us
forgiving others, just as in Christ, God forgave us.
Maybe you've experienced something like this or similar:
•Somebody caused an accident and someone close to you died or was injured for life
•A parent, school teacher or another authority figure abused you or someone close to you
•A criminal killed or injured someone close to you in a robbery or attack
•Someone close to you betrayed
you. Whether or not you know the person that hurt you,
your friend or
family member, it is very tempting to harbor anger, hate or bitterness
towards them - even if you’re close to God.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling angry in your loss. Jesus
understands your pain and anger because He suffered on your behalf.
Because of the sacrifice He made for you, and the forgiveness He has
already granted you, Jesus asks you to forgive people who bring hurt and
pain into your life.You may not even know where to start when you realize you need to forgive someone. You might ask, “How can I forgive?” Well, here are some suggestions:
•Realize and accept you have the anger or bitterness in your heart about the incident (however deeply buried in your memory;
•Accept from the Scripture that you have to forgive as you are forgiven;•Surrender the hurt and anger to Jesus in prayer - If possible, pray this out loud with a friend
•Forgive the person(s) in the Name of Jesus;
•Start praying the Lord's blessing on the person that you need to forgive.
Your PRAY NOW Challenge: "Lord,
show me any events in my life that have made me angry and bitter. Lord, I
choose to forgive those who caused me pain (name them). Lord Jesus,
please take the burden from my shoulders, and bless those who wronged
me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen"
A Helpful Tip: Don't worry if you
don't know the name of the person that wronged you or if they may not
even be alive now. Forgive them anyway - the Lord knows them. If the
process is very difficult, - get help from trusted friend or a
counselor.
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