FORGIVE THEM

“The Lord forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

-Psalm 103:3

Sigmund Freud, the Austrian psychiatrist, said, “One must forgive one’s enemies, but not before they have been hanged.” I thought of those words as I spoke with a dignified, cultured woman in her 70’s. She had grown up with loyalty instilled in her, but someone betrayed her, and that person became an enemy until death.

But late in life, she had been forced to reexamine this.  Jesus Christ had become real to her. He said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14, 15). This last part got to her. She said, “If God won’t forgive me unless I forgive my enemies, I guess I had better learn how to do it.”

What does forgiveness do?

First: It breaks down the door of the prison where you have been both prisoner and jailer. Bitterness has imprisoned you, and your isolation from someone who was once your friend has nailed shut the door. Life is far too short to be lived with anger and hatred.

Second: Forgiveness restores and heals broken relationships. “I’d so much like my brother to come to my wedding,” a man told his counselor. “Well, why don’t you invite him.” There was a long pause as the man said, “Something happened and we just drifted apart.” Drifting apart is the result of an unforgiving spirit. To forgive reverses that trend and brings you back towards each other.

Third: Forgiveness also add years to your life and health to your soul. Make a study of those who have lived over 80 years and you will find people who are at peace with themselves and have learned to forgive their enemies.