Life Changing Attitude: Forgiveness

Attitude is everything! Our attitude is one of the few things we have total control of, but, sad to say, we fail to control. Too often we walk around carrying unhealthy thoughts and feelings that shape our attitudes. No matter our circumstances, we have a choice: positivity/negativity, good/bad, optimism/pessimism. The attitude we choose to embrace will bind us or free us; attitude is everything!
Forgiveness is a life-changing attitude and Jesus invites us to make this part of our lifestyle. We are created in the likeness and image of God. Created in the likeness and image of God, has nothing to do with our physical characteristics and everything to do with our character. Created in the image and likeness of God, we possess the characteristics of God. We possess the capacity to love as we are loved, to show grace and mercy as we have been shown grace and mercy, to forgive as we have been forgiven. As Paul puts it, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
Author, and Pastor of the largest United Methodist Church in the United States, Adam Hamilton, writes in his book, Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go,
“When we choose to show mercy, the image of God is seen in us. Our willingness to forgive has the power not only to change us, freeing us from bitterness and resentment but to change those who receive mercy from us, just as we are changed when finally we see and comprehend the vast and wonderful mercy of God.” (Page 138)
In many ways forgiveness is counterintuitive. For multiple reasons that seem logical and reasonable, we convince ourselves that forgiveness either makes us weak and/or more vulnerable. In reality it makes us stronger and releases us to live life abundantly. I look forward to seeing you in church.
In Christ,
Pastor Doug