Lesson 9: Forgive Even When You Cannot Forget

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)

When someone hurts you in a way that changes your life unforgettably, God knows about it. In fact, of course, He knows every wrong that has ever occurred on earth, as well as the good things. "His understanding has no limit" (Psalm 147:5), and He knows that, as with all human action, "it has all been done before" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

King Solomon wrote, “I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless” (Ecclesiastes 4:1). He noticed that people should not “be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land” (Ecclesiastes 5:8). He said this because, "Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20), so we need to recognize that we, too, are sinners in need of forgiveness.

No matter how difficult a situation, you can remember that God wants us to forgive one another “just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). And because “The Lord loves righteousness and justice” (Psalm 33:5), you can rely on God to help you overcome injustice by being a loving and forgiving person. It will probably be difficult, but “those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble” (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6).


Maybe you’ve experienced something like this or similar:
Somebody caused an accident and someone close to you died or was injured for life;
A parent, school teacher or another authority figure abused you or someone close to you;
A criminal killed or injured someone close to you in a robbery or attack;
Someone close to you betrayed you. Whether or not you know the person that hurt you, your friend or family member, it is very tempting to harbor anger, hate or bitterness towards them - even if you’re close to God.

Jesus understands your pain and anger because He suffered on your behalf. Because of the sacrifice He made for you, and the forgiveness He has already granted you, Jesus asks you to forgive people who bring hurt and pain into your life. You may not even know where to start when you realize you need to forgive someone. You might ask, “How can I forgive?” Here are some suggestions:
Realize and accept you have the anger or bitterness in your heart about the incident (however deeply buried in your memory).Accept from the Scripture that you must forgive as you are forgiven.
Surrender the hurt and anger to Jesus in prayer - If possible, pray this out loud with a friend.
Forgive the person(s) in the Name of Jesus.
Start praying Jesus’ blessing on the person you need to forgive.
Don't worry if you don't know the name of the person that wronged you or if they may not even be alive now. Forgive them anyway - the Lord knows them. If the process is very difficult, get help from trusted friend or a counselor.

Prayer today: Jesus, help me forgive [name] even though I cannot forget.