Forgiving Others

"If you have ever seen a country church with a bell in the steeple, you will remember that to get the bell ringing you have to tug awhile. Once it has begun to ring, you merely maintain the momentum. As long as you keep pulling, the bell keeps ringing. Forgiveness is letting go of the rope. It is just that simple. But when you do so, the bell keeps ringing. Momentum is still at work. However, if you keep your hands off the rope, the bell will begin to slow and eventually stop.”- Corrie ten Boom, Holocaust survivor, Christian author & speaker
The Lord commands us several times throughout scripture to forgive others:

• Matthew 11:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
• Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
• Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
• Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
• Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
• Ephesians 4 :32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
  

And we are commanded to do this, to forgive, or be handed over to tormentors. Read in Matthew 18: 21-35 the story of the servant who was forgiven much who was unforgiving to his fellow servant. The Key verses are 34 & 35:

“And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

We have been forgiven by our Holy & Just God. Who are we to withhold forgiveness from others? Forgiven people need to forgive or scripture is clear, we will be handed over to the tormentors. 

Most of us would not consider ourselves to be bitter. And bitterness is something us Christians try to avoid. Bitterness has been compared to poison or cancer. But reality is bitterness is simply unforgiveness. I used to believe that bitterness was unresolved unforgiveness. Or unforgiveness that sat and fermented into stenchy garbage that attracted rats also know as the enemy. But the above scripture clearly says the servant's unforgiveness is what caused him to be delivered to the tormentors. 

So for all the separation I want to make between bitterness & unforgiveness. They are the same. Bitterness used to send warning bells off within me. Danger! Unforgiveness sounds softer rolling off the tongue but it is truly flat dangerous! And when you have been forgiven for as many things as I have, and you choose not to forgive...you find yourself quickly surrounded by tormentors. And must learn the hard way the great danger of unforgiveness. 

So ask God for help in letting go of the rope of unforgiveness and keeping your hands off that rope. The Lord help Corrie ten Boom forgive a guard from the horrible concentration camp where her beloved sister died. He can surely help us forgive others.