For Easter and the four weeks following, Fall Creek takes a look at the baggage that we all carry through life and seeks to embrace the truth that it is God's plan to help us carry the baggage we cannot avoid, and give away the baggage we do not need.
Sunday, May 1, we looked at the Toxic Baggage of Unforgiveness. Jesus reveals the necessity of learning forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35. In this text, we find that our baggage of unforgiveness hurts the one who needs forgiveness (see verse 30). Our unwillingness to forgive also upsets those bystanders who experience our hard-heartedness, especially when they know how much we ourselves have been forgiven (see verse 31). In both cases, we tend to excuse our unwillingness to forgive on hard fought grounds.
If our lack of forgiveness hurts the one who needs forgiveness, we can easily conclude that the perpetrator against us deserves whatever he gets. We reason that our offender made his bed; we are simply forcing him to lay in it. Too often, we ignore the truth that the debt owed to us pales in comparison to the debt we owe to God. In our hurt, we cry justice for others but mercy for ourselves.
If our lack of forgiveness hurts those around the situation, we often justify ourselves on the basis that others cannot know our pain. No one knows the loss we have suffered and we cannot be blamed for balancing the scales. We forget that our rush to judgment leaves wounds in our wake and only perpetuates the damage done in the first place.
Most of us, if not all, have little regard for the above arguments as a motivating factor moving us towards forgiveness. Unfortunately, others' pain simply fails to reach our hearts when it comes to our need to let go of the toxic baggage of unforgiveness. If we ever hope to be free of this baggage, we must become convinced of the danger to ourselves. Jesus does not leave us wanting for this incentive.
When we refuse to forgive our offender, we ironically become our own worst enemy. Jesus warns us in verse 34 of our text that the person who will not forgive destroys himself in the end, by subjecting himself to the judgment of the master (God). The bitter spirit within that blocks forgiveness also poisons us by opening us up to Satan's attacks (see Ephesians 4:26-27).
So how can we let go of this toxic baggage of unforgiveness? I offer four steps you can take to help rid yourself of your toxic baggage.
1. Memorize Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." The Word of God hidden in your heart will strengthen you in your effort to let go of the poison of unforgiveness.
2. Pray, and ask God to help you renew your mind to know that forgiveness is first about obedience to Him. If there were no other incentive to forgive, this would be enough. Jesus commands that we forgive one another. Jesus told us in Luke 17 that forgiveness does not require great faith, but rather simple obedience.
3. Pray, and ask God to help you restore what you've lost by regaining a passion for His forgiveness to you. To put it simply, if you cannot forgive, you have lost sight of how much you've been forgiven. Praying and thinking about this will certainly empower you to be more forgiving.
4. Pray, and ask God to help you react in a God-sized way by praying for and being kind to those who have hurt you. You will know that you have made real progress in the matter of forgiveness when you can genuinely pray for those who have hurt you and show that person the kindness of God.
There is so much more to learn about forgiveness and the freedom it brings to those who have been wounded. I challenge you to dive deep into God's Word to discover how much more God has for you and how you can be free from your own toxic baggage.
