Love and obedience

As his killers were in the act of killing Stephen, he forgave them. As the stones hit him, he asks God to forgive them. (Acts 7) Why would he do that?

I believe the answer to that is summed up in, “Love and Obedience to God.” Stephen loved God so much that he could forgive his killers. Jesus, out of love for the Father and obedience to Him, was willing to be our example of true love by forgiving those about to kill Him.

Jesus taught us to pray the “Lord’s Prayer.” He followed the words He gave us to pray by emphasizing something we often find so hard to do, which is when He said, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” In the very next verse after teaching us to pray, He said, “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.” Mt. 6:14-15.

He singled out forgiveness as one of the important parts of the prayer. The Apostle Paul emphasized that in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

I love what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said about forgiveness. “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.” I believe Dr. King wanted us to always express our “Love and Obedience to God,” by doing what God does for us. He forgives us of our sins.

But Jesus stresses that God’s forgiveness of us is conditioned on our willingness to forgive others. Jesus knows our weakness and our desire to withhold forgiveness for those who offended us.

We cannot experience real freedom in our hearts and mind by holding on to anger and bitterness for someone who did us wrong.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting but forgiveness releases us from the bondage we feel. “Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.”

In obedience and love for God, who will you forgive or who will you ask for forgiveness? Both will free you and open your heart to a loving God who desires to walk with you in complete freedom.

Let your constant attitude be one of forgiveness.