Do you have trouble forgiving those who’ve hurt you? If so, there is an important key.
What is it? It’s this simple truth: God has forgiven me a billion-dollar debt.
Think of all the ways I’ve hurt God’s heart. Broken his law. Hurt others. Walked or spoken in pride. It’s a debt I am unable to pay.
Now think about this: Jesus paid it all for me. My entire debt I owed God. On the cross. Paid in full. Stamped on my heart. Forever forgiven.
In Matthew 18, Jesus tells his disciples about a man who begs for his own massive debts to be forgiven by a king. The king does so. Then this man refuses to forgive the small debt owed to him by another. What a hypocrite!
The king learns of this hypocrisy and has the man thrown into prison until he pays back every penny of the debt he owes the king.
Isn’t that exactly what we do when we hold onto hurt and refuse to forgive others?
Jesus asks me to forgive a brother who has a $10 debt against me because Jesus has forgiven my billion-dollar debt against him. When I refuse, my unforgiveness puts me in a prison of bitterness, one in which I will remain until I forgive my offender.
Realize what Jesus has done for you. He paid it all! So go and forgive others as you have been forgiven. It’s then that you’ll be free from the prison of bitterness.
It truly is the key to forgiveness.