Why is forgiving one another one of the hardest things we find to do? Why is it that we can throw rocks at others and condemn things about them without a momentary glance into our own lives? Growing up I always heard that you couldn’t throw rocks living in a glass house. Well, looking at all of the broken homes around us seems to give that statement merit. Could it be the reason behind the continual fall of the family unit? Could unforgiveness be the culprit sneaking into our lives and disrupting the natural flow? Could it be one of the top reasons for divorce, murder, racism and all the other things that the news is so good at reporting? Call me crazy, but I lean that way.

What is not being paid attention to, however, is the fact that not forgiving hurts you more than it hurts the one you are not forgiving. What happens when we don’t forgive is that we hold that bitterness inside and it turns into anger and then to rage and then to hate. Forgiveness is not for the one that offended but it is for the one offended. Christ said to forgive others as we have been forgiven. Imagine if we did that. Imagine along with that, the collapse of the antacid market because it would dramatically be hit by the result of our taking care of our own ulcers by never allowing them to arrive.

Forgiveness is freedom for the one bound in anger. It is peace to the one in turmoil and it is the healing ointment that heals all wounds caused by another. To not forgive is to judge, and we are told not to judge except by that measure which we are willing to be judged (Matthew 7:1).

Some of us have made many guilty in our own courts and never given the thought of how we must look before the Judge ourselves. Unforgiveness implies that we are perfect in our own right. For only perfection can judge imperfection. That throws us all out of court. Jesus told the people who were ready to stone the lady in John 8:7, “The one who is without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” (NKJV) Well, isn’t the old saying we saw earlier copying this? Sure she had sinned, sure people have hurt you, and of course you have been wronged and maybe even physically or mentally abused. But also, we have all done the same in some form or fashion -- unless we are perfect. And we know that that is just not the case. It takes a strong man or woman to forgive the trespasses against them, but when God Himself has forgiven us for all of our wrong doings, how can we not, in turn, forgive those who have harmed us?

I don’t think any of us set out to be a hypocrite. It just happens sometimes. Forgiveness is a great place to start turning that around. Do it for yourself, not for them. How many times have we heard it said after the death of a loved one, “I wish I could have only said that I’m sorry.” Or when people come together after years of not talking, how stupid the reason turns out to be in the face of all the time that's been lost.

Know this. If Jesus had not been a forgiving Lord -- f He had been like us -- from the cross, He would have walked away. But instead, loving and forgiving us, He chose to stay. I urge you to forgive someone today, right now, to release yourself of the bondage that unforgiveness brings. Husbands forgive your wives, and wives likewise. Friend, call that old friend up and forgive them. Hard-hearted one, become soft and then stronger because of it.

Forgiving is healing. The blame you feel you can leave at the foot of the cross where Jesus was kind of enough to leave room for it. You can put it right where He chose not to leave any of His own. You can lay it down and pick up what He did leave…forgiveness. You can, if only you will.

-- Matt Hunnicutt 8-1-06

Matt welcomes your comments and is happy to share more of his writings. Please feel free to e-mail him at mattlink007@yahoo.com.

Editor's Note: Matt is a Forsyth County musician who has dazzled crowds at both the Cumming Country Fair and Festival and at the 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia. He recently left Cumming for Nashville upon notification that he is being considered for a recording contract. Stay tuned for more from Matt in weeks to come.