The Mother Hen

Praying for Your Kids Monday
The Ability to Forgive

I learned a very valuable lesson this week about forgiveness. I'll spare you all the details but in the end I was hurt, felt attacked and in turn went on the defensive making myself look as bad as the person who had hurt me. After speaking with my mentor she encouraged me to forgive. No "buts", no "I'm right, You're wrong"--just forgive. Its never easy to forgive, especially after we become indignant but here's what I learned this week and what I hope my children will learn long before they are 33: forgiveness doesn't make the other person right, but instead it makes me free.

One more time just in case you missed it. Forgiveness doesn't make the other person right, but instead it makes me free.

Sigh. That's good stuff right there. The pastor of the Baptist church I spent much of my youth in used to say, "Say Amen, that's good preachin'". Well say 'amen' friends because that's good preachin'.

Paul knew it was good preachin'. He told the church in Ephesus to "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:31-32).

Forgiveness isn't easy, no one is claiming it is, but I can tell you that the freedom I felt after forgiving will be something I remember the next time I'm holding on to bitterness, hurt and indignation.

Lord, I pray that You would teach ___________ how to forgive. I pray that she would understand the depth of Your forgiveness for her so that she can freely forgive others. Please pour Your Spirit out on __________ so that she may confess her sins and be forgiven from all unrighteousness. Amen.