Forgiveness (Part 1)

The biblical prescription to "forgive" is not an easy pill to swallow. In fact, the bottle usually has one of those adult-proof lids on it that is really hard to get off.

Notice that I said adult-proof and not child-proof. This is because the command to "forgive one another" become more difficult as we grow older. Perhaps this is because we allow our hearts to grow more calloused and hard with every hurt that we experience.

More likely, it is because adults tend to use their hearts as duffel bags rather than sieves the way that children do. In this instance, the kids have it right! Our hearts were designed as a "flow valves" (both physically and spiritually) rather than storage units.

As with any valve, once the system is clogged it begins to build pressure, fracture, and will eventually fail altogether. Children have an amazing capacity to process and learn from life's wrongs and then simply allow them to flow through until they are discarded and are no longer a threat to the health of the system.

To help us maintain this system, Jesus has given us some basic "warranty" instructions to ensure that our hearts will operate at maximum capacity throughout the duration of our lives. These special instructions not only ensure peak performance - they also serve to either validate or void our warranties.

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus explains the heart's warranty terms as they relate to "forgiveness" - “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

The manufacturer cannot be held liable for the product if the consumer isn't willing to follow the operating instructions or to perform the necessary maintenance required to ensure that the product is serviced regularly to prevent decreased performance or failure. In short, the consumer is responsible for holding up his end of the deal!