“…and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12 NLT)
The words "you are forgiven" are the most hopeful words we can hear. When we are laboring under a burden of guilt over things we have done and things we should have done but didn't, we can despair of ever being whole and free. Someone has said of guilt, "It's a gift that keeps on giving." Guilt has a way of gnawing away at our spirits until all that remains is discontentment, unhappiness, and fear of facing our sins. As the psalmist wrote, "When I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all the day long" (Psalm 32:3). Forgiveness heals us by making whole a life torn apart by guilt.
With forgiveness comes hope for a new and restored relationship with God, others, and self. Once the crushing burden of guilt is lifted, we need not be "paralyzed"; we are free to live the full and abundant life God wants for us. We are free to forgive.
-- Adapted from Robert Martin Walker in “Prepare Him Room”
#4422
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing your comments about a quote or about this ministry. Please include your name and what state or country you live in. If you do not have a registered profile, you can login using the "Anonymous" tag in the "Comment as:" box below.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.