Weekly Thought > Personal Growth > The Power of Forgiveness
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The Power of Forgiveness
When Christ gave us the ultimate example of freedom He gave us the basis of peace. He not only buried our sins in the deepest part of the sea, He instructed His disciples to forgive seventy times seven.
Forgiveness is the basis of peace.
How can we expect to negotiate peace with cultures that have no vocabulary for personal forgiveness? Many Arab nations think only in terms of revenge.
If I am not mistaken the Christian faith is the only one in which we are instructed to love our enemies. In our most prominent prayer we are instructed to forgive as we are forgiven. I was surprised when an Arab friend of mine upon reaching 21 was given a gun by his father. He was given the instructions to take any opportunity to take revenge on another family with whom their family conducted a long-lasting feud.
We can certainly not give another society the Christian concept of peace through forgiveness. But we can learn to demonstrate the power of forgiveness.
Recently I have come to believe I cannot promote guilt as a way of controlling others. I have seen people remind others of their past and reinforce their guilt. I am convinced that I must forgive those whom God has forgiven. Continuing to encourage guilt isn't a choice.
And on a personal level I must forgive myself when I know that God has forgiven me. Too often I find myself reviewing my guilt instead of accepting God's basis for peace -- forgiveness. Spiritual regurgitation just causes acid reflux of the soul. He put my sins in the deepest part of the sea and posted a �no fishing� sign�----I have no right to go there.
This week ask yourself: 1) How do I promote guilt in others? 2) Am I dwelling on past sin rather than accepting God's forgiveness? 3) What can I do to foster forgiveness?
