HOME PROBLEM

There are a lot of bad things that have happened to many people, and we don't want to pretend they never happened. They did happen, and many are still happening that is causing bitterness in most people in our churches, communities, families, companies, countries, etc. And the mass seems not to notice them, or they just overlooked. People are dying inside, no one to talk to concerning their hurt. Some even commit suicide as a result of these problems. Those who are still alive don't know what exactly to do, so they wish it never happened to them, but unfortunately, it has already happened.

 

Someone's father didn't take care of him or her, but now by the grace of God, (s)he is blessed, and the person is contemplating "can I forgive my father?". Someone also, her mother threw her away or left her somewhere when she was a baby, but through the grace of God, a good Samaritan picked her, and now she's grown up and blessed. She is now asking herself, "can I forgive my mother?". A husband left a wife painfully, and a certain wife also left a husband hurtfully. A young man disengaged his beloved few months to their wedding, and a certain Lady left her fiancé after collecting money to buy items for their marriage ceremony, and they are thinking to themselves, "can I forgive after this?".

There have been different kinds of "promise and fail" on several occasions. Someone fraudulently took your money from you? Your husband might have cheated on you; your friend or sister tried to snatch your partner from you? Your business collapsed because of a deliberate action of somebody; a friend, your boss, or stepfather raped you? Have you been accused wrongly, because someone you know gossiped about you? You might have lost an opportunity very dear to you through a colleague's fault, and the question remains on your heart, "Can I Forgive Him?" 

It is not simple, but the answer is YES you can because you are in the image of God, you are a child of God. And because you are a child of God, this precious, valuable, beautiful quality and character of God called forgiveness resides deep inside of you. What I mean is that this virtue of forgiveness is part of your nature as a child of God, it's in your DNA, in your heart, your blood, and your bones. Let it manifest from within you.

 

The Bible says that a particular generation, a group of people, provoked God for forty (40) years. They tested, tried, offended, and hurt Him every day for 40years and He overlooked it, He forgave them and watched them misbehave for that long time and even protected them. He endured their offense because of another character called longsuffering and forgave them. Look, beloved, you have that character too. God forgives not just because He is God, but it is because of these powerful virtues He possesses ---Agape (Love), longsuffering (patience), and Faith (or hope) --- and you have these same virtues from God Himself. He put them in you so you can behave just like He does. We learn from Him. The Bible has asked us to imitate God, who is our father because we are His beloved children.

 

Ephesians 5:1 (ASV)

Be ye, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children;

 

That is why, when Peter asked the Lord Jesus how many times we should forgive someone when he offended us and added, is it seven (7) times? The Lord said no, not seven times but seventy times seven (70x7), and that is for a day (24hours).

 

Matthew 18:21-22:

[21] Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me, and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?

[22] Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!

 

Do you see that? So the Lord is saying you must forgive at all costs, no matter what. That, of course, is not easy at all, depending on the issue and the individual's heart of understanding. My beloved in Christ, it doesn't matter how long it will take the forgiveness to be accomplished and established, but it is not a day job.