Focus on Forgiveness

February 5, 2025

“Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’ But if you don't, the punishment is back on you, ‘... if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.’” Matthew 18:21-22, 35 (NLT)

My final Sunday at Leeds First Methodist is March 2, which means I will miss journeying through Lent with you this year, so I wanted to offer an idea for you to consider for 2025 Lent: What if you focus on forgiveness (or give up blame, retribution, or grudges)?

I've heard it said that forgiveness doesn’t make them right, it makes you free. Practice saying it there by yourself, "I forgive you." Again, to be sure, "I forgive you."

You don't have to trust them or even share significant life with them, but you can forgive them.

Jesus said you can forgive someone over and over. That's what he commands. In Matthew 18 he has this conversation: "21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!" But if you don't, the punishment is back on you, "35 ... if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” (NLT)

There are tons of weighty ways to deal with people who wrong you earlier in Matthew 18, but, in the end, Jesus commands you to forgive to give you freedom!

Keys to Empowering Forgiveness:

1) Pray for it - Forgiveness seems unnatural, so you need the supernatural help of God. He has promised to give you that power!

2) Practice it - Say the words "I forgive you" in your private space, out loud, so you get them out. Then use them in your relationship. Expect the awkward silence, weirdo explanation, or even agitated response, but do forgiveness anyway.

3) Patience - Expect that others will disappoint you and still believe the best. Hesitance to forgive is compounded when you assume the worst. Have you ever thought this: 'They woke up this morning thinking of 100 ways to sabotage me.' That's possible, but it’s also so rare.

Believe the best and don’t assume the worst. If it turns out they are intentionally harming you, those are the ones you forgive but don't trust—and set strong boundaries.

Bonus:

Be forgivable as a person. Own it when you mess up. Apologize and ask for forgiveness. Stop it if it's an intentional act. Work to make restitution if it has caused harm. Give them time. Avoid the extreme of being oblivious to your faults but don't abandon relationships because you messed up.