by Charles Ligon
The entire world was devastated when
a lone shooter brutally shot and killed the pastor and eight members of Emanuel
AME Church in Charleston, SC. Then, the world was shocked when the
victims’ families responded with forgiveness toward the one who had murdered
their precious loved ones. I listened intently as each family member spoke
words of forgiveness and was reminded of the words of our savior as he was
dying on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. You
see, it is only by His Spirit that these families could do such a thing…and
their testimony to the world was indeed powerful. As difficult as it may
be, every believer is called to emulate this model of Christ’s love, compassion
and forgiveness.
C.S. Lewis once said, Forgiveness
is a lovely idea until you have someone to forgive. So true, but believers
have been given a divine example to follow and His Spirit to empower us.
Colossians 3:13 says, bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances
you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”.
Inasmuch as we have been forgiven, God has commanded us to forgive others. Mark
11:25 says…if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your
Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. God knows it is in our best
interest to forgive others. Why? Someone once said unforgiveness is the
poison we drink hoping someone else will die. The emotional burden of
it will destroy you. Furthermore, unforgiveness hinders our daily walk
with the Lord and our relationships with others. Conversely, forgiveness
releases us from anger, resentment and bitterness and brings healing.
Forgiveness is freedom.
The workplace presents countless
opportunities to practice forgiveness. It is a storehouse for offenses that we
might find difficult to forgive. Gossip, pettiness and unfair treatment often
create hurt and pain. General conflict, poor communication or inconsiderate
acts can affect us and be difficult to overlook. How about you? Have you been
hurt? Are you bitter towards someone? First, understand that the actions
of others, while insensitive, may have been unintentional. Second, refuse to
develop an unforgiving attitude as it will only make matters worse. Third,
decide to practice forgiveness and enjoy the freedom that follows.
Our workplace challenge is to follow the example
of Christ and to be quick to forgive others. Make the decision to give up
blame, fault and refuse to hold a grudge. Then, surrender your will to God and
ask him to heal any unforgiveness in your heart. Where necessary, seek
reconciliation by asking others to forgive your anger or bitterness toward
them. We are to forgive as the Lord forgave us and we are to do it for his
Glory!
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