Why Should I Forgive?

This powerful message confronts one of the most difficult yet essential aspects of our faith journey: forgiveness. We're challenged to move beyond merely understanding what forgiveness is to grasping why we must forgive, even when every fiber of our being resists. The sermon draws us to the foot of the cross, where Jesus, in His moment of greatest agony, uttered those transformative words: 'Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.' This isn't just a beautiful sentiment—it's the very heartbeat of our faith. We discover that forgiveness isn't optional; it's commanded. Scripture makes clear through passages like Matthew 6:14-15 and Mark 11:25 that God's forgiveness of us is directly tied to our willingness to forgive others. This is sobering truth: if we refuse to forgive, we cannot expect God's forgiveness. But there's liberating news here too—forgiveness isn't primarily for the person who hurt us. It's for us. As one child beautifully expressed, forgiveness means 'my heart won't have to have a tummy ache.' When we hold onto bitterness, we give our offender continued power over our lives. But when we choose forgiveness, we win. We break free from the chains of anger and resentment. The contrast between David's dying words of revenge and Stephen's final prayer of forgiveness shows us two paths: one leads to a bitter legacy, the other to Christlike victory. The question before us is simple yet profound: which will we choose?