SERIES: THIS IS US: Forgiveness – Ken Wetmore
Defining forgiveness is not as simple as Googling the definition. Truly understanding and practicing forgiveness is layered, complex, multi-faceted, and often counterintuitive. It is anything but easy. In spite of this, in multiple places in the Gospel Jesus sets forgiveness of our fellow human beings as a condition for receiving the forgiveness of God. The Lord’s Prayer holds the key to this seemingly impossible mandate from Jesus.
One of our #WholeLifeTakeAways this week asked: Think about a person you forgave. What emotions did you experience when you forgave them? What helped you forgive them?
This is another tough one to share, but we would love to hear and grow with you through our stories. So, let us know by using voicemail or text (by text you may remain anonymous as there are no contact lists associated with our text number so we won’t know who you are), or use our email below:
Forgive To Live: How Forgiveness Can Save Your Life, by Dick Tibbits - https://bit.ly/ForgiveToLiveBook
Basic Concepts of Forgiveness. Patsy Rodriguez.
- Definition: Forgiveness is a decision to give up your perceived or actual right to get even with, or hold in debt, someone who has wronged you.
- Forgiving is not a way to avoid pain, but rather to heal pain.
- We forgive people for what they have done, never for what they are.
- We cannot forgive a wrong unless we first blame the person who wronged us. We do not excuse the person we forgive; we blame the person we forgive.
- Forgiving is a journey. The deeper the wound, the longer the journey usually takes. It may require persistence.
- The perpetrator does not get to decide how quickly forgiveness should happen.
- Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation.
- We do not forgive because we are supposed to; we forgive so we can be healed.
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NEXT WEEK: This is US: Grace. This will be the 5th of 8 parts in this message series that will examine in detail our values as a faith community at WholeLife Church.
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