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Second
Chances
By Amber Mushegan
For being a people who have been so freely forgiven, it sure is
difficult for us to forgive, isn’t it? Our nature is to become angry
and hope that others get what they deserve after they have hurt
or wronged us in some way. But God gave His only Son to die
in order to cover our sins in forgiveness. We certainly didn’t get what we
deserved! Our God is the Giver of second chances! We all know that we
need second chances, but do you give them as well as take them?
© istockphoto / simon oxley
Over and over again in Scripture, God stresses the
importance of forgiveness. Being a person who forgives is
vital to having a right relationship with God and others.
Christ even said that we must forgive others in order to be
forgiven. (See Matt. 6:14-16.) So, how do we do it? How do
we actively pursue forgiveness in our lives?
The first key is accepting God’s forgiveness yourself.
Jesus said that “the one who is forgiven little, loves little”
(Luke 7:47). In other words, if you haven’t accepted God’s
forgiveness and live in that
Famous second
chances
Lucille Ball. In 1927,
the actress was dismissed
from drama school
by teachers who said
she had no future as a
performer. Later, she won
four Emmy Awards for
her performance in
“I Love Lucy.”
Michael Jordan. As a
high school sophomore,
Jordan was cut from the
varsity basketball team.
He made the team the
next year and went on
to make history in the
sport both in college and
the NBA.
Jonah. In the Old
Testament, God
instructed the prophet
Jonah to go to Ninevah
and deliver God’s
message. Jonah ran
the other way. When
rescued by God, he was
obedient—even if it was
with the wrong attitude.
Kurt Warner. In 1999,
the quarterback led the
St. Louis Rams to a Super
Bowl victory. By 2004
he’d been dismissed from
the Rams and lost the
starting QB position for
the New York Giants. In
2009, he led the Arizona
Cardinals to their first
Super Bowl appearance
and threw for 377 yards
despite the team’s loss.
You. God loves you—too
much to leave you lost
without purpose, trapped
by sin. He gave you a
second chance in Christ.
Trust Him in all things,
with all your heart.
freedom yourself, there
is no way you will be able
to truly forgive others
and love as Christ loves.
The ability to forgive is an
outpouring of Christ in
us and is impossible apart
from Him.
So, you are living in
God’s forgiveness and
want to forgive others,
but how? Peter asked that
question of Christ, and the
answer probably surprised
all who were listening.
Peter wanted to know if he
should forgive his brother 7
times, and Christ said not
just 7, but 70 times 7. (See
Matt. 18:21-22.)
The point? Forgiveness
is a constant process, not
an instant one. Christ
wasn’t saying that we
must only forgive a certain
number of times. He was
demonstrating that we
must continue forgiving
again and again, giving the
matter over to God in obedience
until it is settled in
our hearts. He knows it’s
not easy for us, but He calls
us to be obedient and allow
Him to work through us.
Unforgiveness is like
a disease that will spread
through your body like
wildfire. It will cause you
to wallow in anger and to
grow bitter and resentful,
missing out on the joy
that the Lord brings. The
picture of unforgiveness in
the Bible is that of the un-
forgiven person being roped
to the back of the person who
refuses to forgive. When you
refuse to forgive another,
you are truly carrying them
around on your back, bearing
the weight of that burden
day after day. It hurts you
so much more than it hurts
them! When you choose to forgive, you release your burden
to the Lord and allow the person who has wronged you
to be free. Remember that love does not keep a record of
wrongs. When you forgive someone, you can release them
and give them a clean slate.
What do you do if you just don’t feel like you can possibly
forgive someone? One of the best ways to align your
heart with the heart of God is to simply pray for them.
Ask God to help you see them from His point of view, as a
person who is dearly loved and bought at a great price, just
as you are. Pray for God to give you a love for the person
who has wronged you.
Forgiving those you love is easier because you generally
know that they most likely didn’t intend to hurt you. Forgiving
those who seem unlovable is much more difficult
because it’s easier to stay angry with them. Pray for God to
help you love them in humility, recognizing that God loves
them as much as He loves you.
Remember that love does not
keep a record of wrongs.
Now, what happens after you forgive? I truly believe
that obedience brings joy, and being obedient to God by
forgiving others is a great reward in and of itself. But I
have also found that sometimes the results of forgiveness
are far-reaching—beyond what we can even imagine. For
example, in high school I had some friends who constantly
ridiculed my faith. Their comments were often harsh and
hard to swallow, but I made a conscious effort to forgive
them and to show them that I loved them no matter what
they said. A few years after high school, one of those
friends called me at college and apologized for how she had
treated me back then. She said she had accepted Christ and
couldn’t wait to tell me because I had shown her the love of
Christ when she seemed unlovable.
You never know what the impact of your choices will
be. The way you choose to live your life and your faith now
can make an eternal difference. Just choose—every day,
every moment, if need be—to live for God and be obedient
to His Word. Walk in the freedom that forgiveness brings,
because you’ve been given a gift you can’t earn by a God
who will never love you any more or any less. You won’t
regret living in the power of that love. Ever! ec
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