There are many seasons in a friendship. Seasons of laughter, seasons of sadness, seasons of trials, seasons of peace, seasons of hurt and pain, and seasons of healing and forgiveness. Lately I have had a hard time with unforgiveness in friendships. It is very painful to be hurt by people who were supposed to be your friend, who you thought cared about you. It is very hard to forgive when friends wrong you, but you must do it. You must do it because in order to receive forgiveness you have to forgive others.
Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours.
Your sins are much greater towards God than any human’s toward you. If you want the Father’s forgiveness you must give it! It is so hard to forgive when you are wronged and hurt. It is so hard to sit by as evil prevails and there is no punishment for their sin. It is very painful. But it is not for you to worry about. All you have to do is forgive them as Jesus forgave you.
Peter also had a hard time understanding forgiveness. He had been having trouble with the tax collectors and he knew in his heart that is was right to forgive them, but he didn’t want to because he was hurt. He went to the great counselor, though, and Jesus gave him the best advice:
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Kefa came up and said to him, “Rabbi, how often can my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?” “No, not seven times,” answered Yeshua, “but seventy times seven!
WOW! That is hard to do. We are to forgive seventy times seven that equals 490 times. Now when Jesus said that he wasn’t saying to keep a record of how many times you forgive. He was saying you just forgive! Even if you are sinned against daily more than once, forgive!
Luke 17:3-4
Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Also, if seven times in one day he sins against you, and seven times he comes to you and says, `I repent,’ you are to forgive him.”
It is sad, but just because you forgive someone it doesn’t mean they will stop hurting you. When that happens you just need to leave it in Jesus’ hands because He will deal with them. We just need to make sure that as Believers we always have a season of forgiveness for everyone. Now forgiveness does not mean that you have to continue in close relationship with those who hurt you, because you don’t. You can forgive, move on and still not have the same relationship with those who sinned against you. While Christ wants us to show His love to everyone, He does not want us to keep being hurt by going back to friends who will continue to wrong you.
Paul had a disagreement with a friend, Barnabas.
Acts 15:39
There was such sharp disagreement over this that they separated from each other, with Bar-Nabba taking Mark and sailing off to Cyprus.
It is ok to part ways with others. People change, relationships change, ideas change. Sometimes God puts people in our life for a season, to help us grow or learn something. After that has season has passed, He will pull you away sometimes. He does not want division in His body.
1 Corinthians 1:10
Nevertheless, brothers, I call on you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to agree, all of you, in what you say, and not to let yourselves remain split into factions but be restored to having a common mind and a common purpose.
You need to do everything in your power to have no divisions. If you find yourself in a place where you need to walk away from a relationship, you need to pray and ask God what to do and if He leads you away from it, you need make sure you are doing so righteously, according to the Bible.
There is only one place in the Bible that talks about not forgiving and it is NOT by you not forgiving someone.
Mark 3:28-29
Yes! I tell you that people will be forgiven all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; however, someone who blasphemes against the Ruach HaKodesh never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin.”
I know it is so hard to just forgive when you are hurt. You don’t want to let your anger go because it seems like its all they left you when they hurt you, but you must give it to Jesus and forgive the person. You can still be kind to them, and not have the same relationship with them. You can still forgive, but you don’t have to continue to be in a position where they can hurt you.
Ephesians 4:32
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.
When you have done everything you are supposed, Jesus will take of the rest! Just forgive!
©AmandaDixon2009
Related Articles
Tags: 1 Corinthians 1:10, Acts 15:39, Adonai, anger, Bible, disagreement, forgive, forgiveness, friend, friends, friendship, God, hurt, Jesus Christ, JUST DO IT!, Luke 17:3-4, Mark 3:28-29, Mark 3:280, Matthew 18:21-22, Matthew 6:14, Messiah, offense, offenses, pain, Scriptures, Seasons, seven times, seventy seven times, the Word, unforgiven, unforgiveness, Yeshua
August 30th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I read a quote recently that said something to the effect of… forgiveness doesn’t change the past, but it does change the future! I thought that made sense…forgiveness doesn’t say that something was all right, but that we are choosing to move forward in love. I certainly need the Holy Spirit to help me forgive. Thanks for the Scriptures and thoughts.
[Reply]
August 30th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Great post! I have recently had to do a lot of forgiving (and repent!) because holding on to all those past hurts was giving Satan a foot-hold in my life. The spiritual attack was lifted from me but I am still working on being more forgiving!
Jade´s last blog ..Sunday Psalm
[Reply]
August 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Hello Amanda…May I say, the Lord has given you much wisdom for one so young! What a blessing it is to read your writings, and just “see” the Father at work in you!
Have a super Sunday, SuperAngel!
simpleoldgul´s last blog ..Completed Dresden Plate Table Top Quilt
[Reply]
August 30th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Forgiveess means getting over our ego and coming from a place of love. If feels good.
[Reply]
August 30th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Hello Amanda..Thanks for the great post!
[Reply]
August 31st, 2009 at 12:30 pm
It seems like your family has been going through some rough times…good for you for forgiving! Grace and forgiveness should be ever present.
[Reply]
August 31st, 2009 at 2:01 pm
[...] The Daily Planet » Blog Archive » Just Forgive! superangelsblog.com/?p=2745 – view page – cached #The Daily Planet RSS Feed The Daily Planet » Just Forgive! Comments Feed The Daily Planet It Happened Again!! Rivers and Co. Review/Giveaway — From the page [...]
August 31st, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Amen, honey! Loves and hugs! Love ya!!!! Praying for you….
Alexandra´s last blog ..Belle and Addy’s Baptism
[Reply]
August 31st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Well said and well done! Forgiveness is the key that sets captives free. Holding grudges and refusing to forgive not only holds you captive to the wrong or the hurt but it also holds the other person captive as well. By forgiving you not only set them free but you also set yourself free. FoRGIVENESS therefore is the key to open prison doors.
Allen´s last blog ..Disciple Makers
[Reply]
August 31st, 2009 at 8:45 pm
exactly! it goes along with Proverbs 25:22- “For you will heap fiery coals [of shame] on his head, and ADONAI will reward you.”
[Reply]
September 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Amen. So very, very true.
[Reply]
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
Difficult but true. I’ve always been very convicted by the passage that says in order for God to forgive us our sins, we must likewise forgive the sins of the people against us.
[Reply]
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Great post Amanda! So true! Forgiving can be so hard, but unforgivness and grudges will just give Satan a foothold in your life. I mean, when you hold a grudge in your heart, a seed is planted. A very wicked seed, like a thistle. And just like a thistle plant, it blooms, grows, seeds, and multiples. It’ll all come out sooner or later!
Thanks for sharing.
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
It is nice to have peace in one’s heart. There is no room for bitterness when forgiveness takes root.
Marshie´s last blog ..Changing focus
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
[...] isn’t “Was she ever really my friend to begin with? “, but, are you willing to Just Forgive! Life is hard enough without other Believers being the perpetrators, but our Father sees it and does [...]
October 1st, 2009 at 10:44 pm
[...] hurtful when they do, but there is nothing you can do when they do that. Last month I talked about Forgiveness no matter what. When you are friends with Users, you still have to love and forgive them if you are [...]