About the year 1830, a man named George Wilson killed a government employee who caught him in the act of robbing the mails.  He was tried and sentenced to be hanged.  However, President Andrew Jackson sent him a pardon.  But Wilson did a strange thing.  He refused to accept the pardon, and no one knew what to do.  So, the case was sent to the Supreme Court.

         Chief Justice John Marshall, considered one of the greatest Justices ever, wrote the courts opinion.  In it, he said, “A pardon is a slip of paper, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned.  If it is refused, it is no pardon.  George Wilson must be hanged.”  And so, he was.

         George Wilson was offered the freedom that comes with forgiveness and a pardon and the opportunity to go free.  But because of his refusal, he was shown judgment without mercy.  Had he chosen to accept the pardon offered, then God’s word would have been made manifest among us and mercy would have triumphed over judgment.

         We don’t always recognize that a part the power of forgiveness is accepting it when it is offered.  And another part of it is being able to forgive ourselves for the sins we’ve committed.  When we learn to forgive ourselves then — in truth and fact — mercy will always triumph over judgment.  That is precisely what we received when Christ died for us.  The mercy of God triumphed over judgment because of God’s heart and God’s heart inspired forgiveness of us all.

• Why do you believe it’s so difficult for us to forgive ourselves?
• Does finding the willingness to forgive ourselves lead us to be more heart inspired forgiveness for ourselves and others? How?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, forgive us when we are unable to forgive ourselves. Help us to grow in our faith that we may offer heart inspired forgiveness to all.

         During the children’s sermon one Sunday, a pastor held up an ugly looking summer shirt that he wore around the house.  He explained that someone said the shirt was ugly and that it should be thrown away.

         The pastor said, “This really hurt me, and I’m having trouble forgiving the person who said those mean things.  Do you think I should forgive that person?”, he asked.  Immediately his six-year-old daughter raised her hand.  “Yes, you should, she said without hesitation.”  “But why?”, he asked.  “The person hurt my feelings.”

         To which his daughter answered, “Because you’re married to her!”

         Choosing to forgive is sometimes difficult ground to navigate once our feelings are hurt.  We first have to put our feelings aside and deal with what may be another person’s truth.  At the same time, we have to consider the number of times we may have hurt someone and never sought forgiveness or reconciliation.  The other consideration is whether or not, the other person has asked for our forgiveness.  That becomes complicated because we have already received God’s forgiveness, and been reconciled without our request, remembering “ … but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

         It may be an important point to remember that we received forgiveness before we asked for it.  It may just be that “heart inspired forgiveness” is just like that — if offers forgiveness even before it’s asked for.  When it’s offered that way, it comes with the added benefit of unconditional love — God’s greatest gift of mercy.

• What conditions would have to exist in order for you to offer heart inspired forgiveness to someone without them asking for it?
• Why is this forgiveness different from forgiveness which is asked for?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
God of grace, fill me with Your grace of heart inspired forgiveness so that I may always forgive others as you forgive me.

         Several years ago, coach Joe Paterno and his Penn State football team were playing for a national championship against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  They probably would have won, but they had a touchdown called back because there was a twelfth man on the field.  After the game, Paterno was asked to identify the player.  “It’s only a game,” he said.  “I have no intention of identifying the boy.  He just made a mistake.”

         What could have been a national embarrassment for a young football player was dismissed because the Penn State football coach was able to forgive a young player for simply making a mistake.  Did it cost Penn State the national championship?  Probably.  But Joe Paterno’s forgiveness did much more.  It saved a young man from becoming a national embarrassment, a public humiliation, and perhaps the emotional, spiritual, and mental security of a young man.

         We have no idea the power of forgiveness when it is inspired from the heart.  It does in some very real ways, exactly what our scripture says it does when offered with compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  It has the ability to remove the sins of another person and give them a chance to live again.

• Why is forgiveness that is inspired by the heart so much more meaningful than the idea of forgiving and forgetting?
• What can we do to create a more heart inspired forgiveness for others in ourselves?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, enable me to see others simply as those — who like me — are capable of making mistakes. Empower me to offer them forgiveness inspired from my heart and shaped by Your forgiveness of me.