When’s the Right Time to, Forgive?

The short answer to this week’s post is, immediately, as soon as any offence is taken!
(Which can be a difficult thing to do.)

We all know that we are called to forgive, it’s in The Lords prayer.

Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

There are many places in the Bible where we are told that we need to forgive. Experience (more recent than I’d like it to be), now also confirms to me, that it is to our benefit, when we do forgive.

I’m viewing unforgiveness, as a fire or heat, that is locked into a room with us.
It then feeds itself so that it can then become all consuming, and start to dictate where our actions go. (Namely, bad actions, as they are fueled by the heat of annoyance.)

For those of us who have asked for Jesus to be with us on our journey, he is wanting to lead and guide us in the best way to go. But, if we have unforgiveness in us, it’s like we are in the locked room, with the fire and heat, but Jesus is outside the room.
Jesus may well be trying to speak to us, but are we able to hear His directions, over the heat of the annoyance? (Probably not. 😦 )

Forgiving, is the action that opens the door, to the locked room, which makes space for the heat to leave, but more importantly, opens the same door, to invite Jesus into the situation, so that He can then push the heat out. We are then able to hear His words to us, that much more clearly, so that we can then start to make better decisions, with the situation that we are facing.

We may want for all of the heat to go straight away, and sometimes it might. But other times, it may take a bit of time.
Sometimes, the heat may go, but the aroma lingers for a bit longer.
Progress in the right direction, is still progress, even if it happens at a slower pace than we would like it to happen.

So, if forgiveness is something that is a help to us, then how soon do we want to have this help?
After the situation is dealt with?
Or when we need it most?
As the situation is happening?
Or even better still, right at the beginning of the situation?

I know, this can be a very difficult thing to do, when the heat of annoyance is locked in the room with you. But like a lot of things that aren’t easy, it may be difficult to do, but the benefits can be Huge!

Jesus directing your actions, or the fire.
Which one, do you want?

Jesus, has even given us a practical demonstration of this, in the most extreme version. As they crucified Him, His words were…

Luke 23:34
³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

As they were inflicting the assault on Jesus, He was forgiving them, in His Father’s sight.

I’m not suggesting that we all go to the ones who are causing us the troubles and telling them, that we forgive them, as that could just be us pouring more fuel, onto the fire.
But the forgiveness that I’m talking about, is the quiet forgiveness that we do, in our hearts, in Our Lord God’s presence.
That’s the forgiveness that opens the door, to let the fire out, and invites Jesus into the situation.

Just one question to finish on.
How soon do we want to invite Him into the situation?

_______________________________________________

Forgiveness is Key

Forgiveness and Reconciliation are Two very Different Things

The Release that Forgiveness Brings.

Accept, Repent and Forgive, There is Power Here!