Don’t Burn The Bridge
From Ephesians 4:32 we read, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
DON’T BURN THE BRIDGE! One time, a man came to John Wesley, a passionate preacher from the 1700s, and said, “I could never forgive that person.” Wesley said, “Then I hope you never sin. When you are unforgiving, you’re burning the very bridge you need to walk across.” Truer words have never been spoken. When you’re not forgiving of others, you’re setting yourself up to not be forgiven yourself. Why? Because God says you’re going to need forgiveness in the future. Jesus said very clearly, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mat. 6:15).
FORGIVEN AND MENDED. A little boy named Eli was helping his mother in the kitchen when he accidentally knocked over her favorite porcelain bowl, a cherished gift from her late mother. It shattered on the floor. Tears welled in Eli’s eyes as he looked at the pieces. “I’m sorry, Mama,” he whispered, expecting anger or punishment. His mother walked over slowly, knelt beside him, and looked at the broken bowl. Then she looked into his eyes. “I loved that bowl,” she said softly. “But I love you more.” She pulled him into a hug. Later, instead of throwing the pieces away, they sat together and carefully glued them back, piece by piece. The cracks were visible, but the bowl took on a new kind of beauty. It was a reminder not just of what was broken, but of what had been forgiven and mended.
UNDERSTANDING FORGIVENESS.
Forgiveness is a two way street. You can’t expect others to forgive you if you are unwilling to forgive them. It’s a basic biblical truth: You reap what you sow. When I hear somebody say they can’t forgive someone, I realize that person doesn’t understand forgiveness. If they understood forgiveness, they’d probably be more eager to forgive others. Many myths get in the way of our willingness to forgive. For example, here are three of the biggest misconceptions about forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn’t mean: TO MINIMIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT SOMEONE HAS DONE TO YOU. Forgiveness is not saying, “It's no big deal!” or “It didn’t hurt.” It was a big deal. It did hurt. It wounded you, and that's why you need to forgive. To forgive someone doesn’t mean the wrong against you doesn’t hurt.
THAT YOU INSTANTLY TRUST THAT PERSON AGAIN. There's a difference between forgiveness and trust. Forgiveness is instantaneous. Trust must be rebuilt over time. If people hurt you over and over again, the Bible says you’re obligated to forgive them, but you are not obligated to instantly trust them.
RESUMING THE RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT ANY CHANGES. Forgiveness is not the same as restoring the relationship. Forgiveness is what you do if you’ve been hurt. But if the relationship is going to be restored, the offender has to do three things: genuinely repent, offer restitution where possible, and rebuild trust over time.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Is it time to forgive someone who has hurt you? Choose to forgive knowing that you’ll need it from others and the Lord, from time to time. Don’t withhold forgiveness. Don’t burn the bridge you’ll need to travel back over! You’ll always need to be forgiven and, therefore, you must forgive others. Think it over…🙏