I share a story about being badly hurt by the betrayal of a friend and how he couldn’t forgive that friend until he “gave” an act of forgiveness to the friend.
See the rest of the story In my video "Give and More Will Be Given to You, Much More! Luke 6:38" https://youtu.be/IkpgK_SbT_0
Luke 6:37-38 says:
37Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
“Give” it says in Luke 6:38. I needed to give something. So, I called my friend. I called and acted as if the betrayal had never happened. We talked about everyday things – just small talk.
As I talked with my friend, the forgiveness I was still struggling to find, suddenly dropped into my heart. I remembered all the years of our friendship and all the memories we have together, and I remembered why I love this guy. And then it was easy to forgive.
Forgiveness is a form of love. It's not an emotion. It’s a decision followed by an action. Act first, and the emotion will follow. We step out in faith, and God gives us what we need, to do what is right. I gave my friend a second chance and God restored our friendship and gave me peace, forgiveness, and fresh love for my friend.