Offering the Gift of Forgiveness to Others

Article written by my friend, Dr. Ifeoma Samuel

Offering the Gift of Forgiveness to Others

I couldn’t sleep, so I lay down, tossing and turning. I was anxious and worried sick over an out-of-control situation that I had tried so hard to avoid. Multiple scenarios played through my mind. What if I had done this or that? Would the outcome have been different?

 

I prayed for deliverance from worry as the Holy Spirit tugged at my heart to offer the gift of forgiveness. Then, I realized that the redemption I was praying for was rooted in my willingness to forgive.

 

When someone hurts us, we may want to get away from the person or situation as fast as possible. But things are not always as easy as we desire.

 

The Lord revealed to me that my desire to avoid this specific situation was rooted in my unforgiveness, and I prayed for His forgiveness. Not just for my heart but also for the one who may bear a grudge against me.

 

I have experienced God answering my prayers in dynamic ways. We open the door to miracles when we pray for the hearts of those who offend us to be touched by the Lord.

 

As I prayed, I felt God’s peace wash over me.

 

Offering the Gift of Forgiveness:

Taming our Tongues and Guarding our Hearts

Our world is filled with hate, intolerance, and impatience. People are in an awful hurry to close doors and burn bridges with little consideration of how their choices affect others. But it is vital to remember that life is too short to hang on to grudges. We can’t run from every confronting situation. Offenses can come at the slightest provocation. Even very close friends and family members may say hurtful words – intentionally or not.

 

As Colossians 4:6 states, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

 

James 3: 2 tells us that “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” (Read James 3:2-14 for more insight.)

 

The content of our hearts determine the outcome of our lives. You see, bitterness, strife, envy, anger, unforgiveness begin in the heart. The same goes for love, kindness, forgiveness (Ephesians 4:22-32; James 3:14-18). Unless we learn to tame our tongues and guard our hearts by renewing our minds with the Word, we will fall into the trap of giving offense to others.

 

Offering the Gift of Forgiveness through Prayer

Instead of praying for challenging people to get away from our lives, let’s pray for their hearts to be touched by the truth of God’s Word.

 

The purpose of the offense we experience may be for us to

• learn the gift of forgiveness
• nurture a heart of patience
• learn the practice of praying for difficult people, and
• receive joy from winning over difficult people.

 

The Power of Forgiveness

As I soaked in the blessings from my prayer today, I reflected on the power of forgiveness over toxic thoughts, anger, and bitterness.

 

Forgiveness begins here, dear friend. It starts with a choice for life, peace, and to live like Christ. It begins with speaking the truth to our hearts and others. Forgiveness doesn’t deny the hurt or offense. It pursues peace with the right attitude and pure intentions.

 

Forgiving may not change their attitudes, or at least not right away but forgiving changes us in a good way.

 

Forgiveness is a life-giving virtue. It is what Christ did for us on the cross. The pardon we received earned us a place with Him. None of us were deserving, which makes it so much easier to see how God modeled forgiveness.

 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

 

Our forgiveness is life-giving for us and others. Not because those who offend us deserve the pardon or even acknowledge the forgiveness.

 

Forgiveness starts right here in your heart.

 

Prayer

Lord, teach me to tame my tongue. Purge me of vain thoughts. Give me a heart of compassion and patience towards others. Let me have a healthy response time to adverse situations. Pull me away from unnecessary conversations. Plant the truth of your Word in my heart, and help me offer Your gift of forgiveness to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

 

Dr. Ifeoma Samuel is your down-to-earth Bible Study writer and speaker who is passionate about teaching and helping women find true joy in everyday life.  Dr. Samuel enjoys encouraging women to go deeper in search of God’s truth for their lives. Through many conferences, books, videos, and articles scattered all over the web, she shares her stories of inspiration and faith. You can find her Bible Study and devotional books for women and resources for children on her blog PurposefulandMeaningful.com.