forgiveness increases strength and lessens struggles

Psalm 25:18  NASB

Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins.

Over the past several weeks I have thought a lot about the barriers that we come up against in life.  Similar to the barriers placed out on roads when there is danger or construction, there are barriers that are placed in our lives.

Some barriers are physical.  There are limitations or barriers from illness or maybe sickness.  You or I may have a barrier of a disability.  Some of these come by our choices, yet much of the time barriers are simply part of life and living.

There are other barriers beyond the physical.  I want to drawn our thinking today to a limitation or barrier that is all tied up in our spiritual lives.  It is the barrier of forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:32  NASB

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Forgiveness is seen in many ways in our lives.  The lack of forgiveness or unforgiveness will tie us up, grow as bitterness and anger.  It stripes us often of our ability to enjoy life.

On the other side forgiveness is one of the biggest things that frees us.  When we choose to give and receive forgiveness, we gain freedom and peace.  It gives us the ability to grow, to increase our living, like abundant life we heard of in John 10:10.  Forgiveness and abundant life are gifts from God with all kinds of outcomes within each of us.

Forgiveness is another choice that will open doors, bring dividends and increase the strength and lessen the struggle of our lives.

Where are you in the thought of forgiveness and the need of it?  I am right in the mix.  Forgiveness and being forgiveness are solely tied to our walk with and relationship to God.  It really is the character of God and to be God like to have forgiveness as part of your life and mine.

Psalm 86:5  NASB

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.

I am forgiven.  That is that.  That is a big deal.  But back up for a minute.  Often we put our human limitations or barriers in the way of divine forgiveness.  We may even think, I believe we often think, that our goodness matches the goodness of God.  I beg to differ. 

God goes beyond our stopping place.  He keeps on loving when we find it hard to love.  Our God is full of mercy and grace when we have to make ourselves respond again because of pain or broken relationships.  I need God’s grace.  How about you?  I desire His forgiveness, but I confess that I don’t deserve His grace and forgiveness.

Colossians 2:13  NASB

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,