Forgiveness

I’ve got a basket, do you have a basket? Honestly, everybody has a basket! As we celebrate Father’s Day tomorrow, many of us have baskets that are likely full of stones. Some of us pick up the stones and hurl insults at our fathers and some use the stones to create a wall to separate them from any further hurt.

You can either continue to collect these stones from year to year, building up more and more unforgiveness and resentment, or you can choose to lay all your stones down and use them to build a path of peace and unity between you and your father. Ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” I think Jesus would take those stones and He would arrange them in a beautiful way so that your family and mine could find their way home to peace, to love and to reconciliation.

Many of us have read Matthew 6:14-15, but this time read it and really understand what these verses are saying:

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

With God, there is no compromise or ambiguity when it comes to forgiveness. The condition to us receiving the forgiveness of Christ is for us to forgive others. We forfeit Jesus’ forgiveness of our sins when we choose to harbor unforgiveness toward others. This Father’s Day, choose to forgive your dad, whether he is still living or not. Take that first step of reconciliation with your father and you in turn will receive sweet forgiveness from your heavenly Father.

Category: Family, Forgiveness