FORGIVENESS

Marianne Williamson made the (now) famous comment, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and waiting for the other person to die.”

Frederick Buechner wrote, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” we’re told. Maybe before I can love my neighbor very effectively, I have to love me—not in the sense of a blind passion, but in the sense of looking after, of wishing well, of forgiving when necessary, of being my own friend.”

Jesus said, “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
(Matthew 6:14-15)

It appears that to receive forgiveness we first must forgive others and ourselves. If we don’t we are stuck in emotional and spiritual death. It is as though we have little dabs of Gorilla Glue© of unforgiveness smeared around on our inner person and it’s hard to get loose. We have to get free even if a takes a while for the glue to wear off.

“Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Jesus