For two reasons: because the Bible tells us to, and it’s good for our well-being. Forgiving others releases us from having bad feelings that can affect our attitude, as well as the health of our bodies and minds. Carrying bitterness and anger around only hurts us; not the other person.
Forgiveness is a very important part of being a Christian and following Jesus’ example.
Matthew says, (18:21,22 NLT) “Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’”
Jesus didn’t mean we should actually count and forgive a person 490 times. He was saying that there should be no limit to our forgiveness.
The Bible is full of good examples where individuals were mistreated, yet they still forgave.
A beautiful example of forgiveness is shown in Acts (7:60 Christian Standard Bible) when the faithful Christian Stephen was being stoned to death by an angry mob. “He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ And after saying this, he died.”
Another important lesson is humbly asking for forgiveness when WE make mistakes. King David made serious mistakes in his life. Once he realized them, he asked God for forgiveness in the book of Psalms and God forgave him.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew, (6:15 NLV) “If you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Just because we have a forgiving attitude does not mean we should sit back and allow others to mistreat us. If someone is bullying you at school or on social media, you should tell your parents and your teachers. We should never hurt the person back and make them our enemy.
So, why should we forgive others? Because we want to follow Jesus’ advice and the examples of the Bible. It’s also good for our health and well-being to release those bad feelings we have towards others.
This video is from Christian Questions Podcast. For more information please go to https://christianquestions.com
